AMMAN — The Cabinet on Monday approved a JD5 million support package for tourism establishments in the Petra Development and Tourism Region, aimed at protecting jobs, easing financial burdens and strengthening the sector’s long-term competitiveness.  

 

The package, approved during a Cabinet session chaired by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, includes 11 measures benefiting around 1,600 workers and tourism businesses in Petra, according to a Prime Ministry statement.

 

The decisions were issued following directives by the prime minister after a meeting last week between the minister of tourism and antiquities and representatives of the tourism sector in Petra.

 

The measures include wage support programmes, loan repayment deferrals, the rescheduling of social security, tax, electricity and water payments, support for the tourism risk management fund, new tourism initiatives and regulations governing future hotel expansion, the statement said.

 

Under the wage support programmes, the government will cover 50 per cent of social security-covered wages and related contributions for around 900 tourism workers in Petra until the end of 2026.

 

It will also cover 35 per cent of social security-covered wages and related contributions for more than 500 employees working at international hotel chains in Petra during the same period.

 

A separate programme will provide six months of support for 280 unemployed tourism workers, allowing them to return to the workforce while restoring their social security coverage.

 

The Cabinet also approved a one-year deferral of loan instalments for tourism establishments in Petra, with the government covering the resulting interest costs, estimated at JD2.27 million, the statement said.

 

Additional measures include expanding the concessional loan programme for tourist guides nationwide, allowing the Jordan Tourism Board to defer, reschedule or waive fees owed by affected tourism offices in Petra, and rescheduling outstanding income and sales tax payments with exemptions from interest and penalties.

 

Tourism establishments in Petra will also be allowed to reschedule outstanding electricity and water bills, with a full exemption from interest and penalties.

 

The Cabinet also approved allocating 10 per cent of revenues collected from cooperatives operating in Petra and companies managing the archaeological site to strengthen the risk management account of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority.

 

The package also includes new tourism programmes designed to encourage longer visitor stays in Petra and expand promotional efforts in Arab and international markets.

 

In addition, a committee will be formed to study a mechanism for licensing new hotels, ensuring future growth in accommodation capacity is aligned with actual market demand.