São Paulo – If it is up to the Jordanian minister of Tourism, Maha Khatib, a growing number of Brazilian tourists will travel to the country, which is making an effort to show the world that there is “much more to it than Petra.” The city is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. “We have archaeological sites, the natural beauty of our waterfalls and deserts, and religious tourism at holy sites, and we want Brazilians to experience our hospitality,” said the minister in the city of São Paulo this Monday (19th).
According to the minister, Brazil is a priority for tourism in Jordan. “Brazil is a great potential partner. Brazilians are travelling around the world a lot, the country has a strong economy, and besides, thousands of Arab descendents live here,” she claimed. “This is my first time in Brazil, and I never thought I would see so many familiar faces in the streets, at restaurants. I felt at home,” she stated.
Speaking to journalists, the minister said that when the Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited Jordan, in 2005, king Abdullah pulled her by the arm and said that she “must” visit Brazil. “I said yes sir, but of course. And here I am today, getting to know this wonderful country,” she quipped.
The minister spent a few hours at the head offices of the Brazilian Tour Operators Association (Braztoa), where she met with representatives of travel agencies that already sell packages to Jordan. Suggestions made by the businessmen for increasing the Brazilian tourist flow to the Arab country included creating a website, guides and maps containing information in Portuguese, training local guides to better cater to Brazilian tourists, and launching advertising campaigns to promote all of the attractions that Jordan has to offer.
The minister took note of everything and guaranteed that the changes will be implemented right away. According to Maha, the Jordanians love Brazil and know it as the country of football and carnival. “During the World Cup, the Jordanians decorated the country in green and yellow (the colours of Brazil),” she said.
Among those in attendance was Adel Auada, the director in charge of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Committee. “Our goal is to support professional tourism industry-related organisations, such as operators, agencies, and eventually the press, by providing contacts and information. “I believe minister Maha’s visit will result in many contacts and excellent partnership opportunities,” he said.
The chairman of Braztoa, José Eduardo Barbosa, was also very pleased with the meeting. “The conversation was very fruitful and the minister’s intention of establishing closer ties was made clear. We are confident that the number of Brazilian tourists interested in getting to know Jordan will increase significantly,” he said.
In 2009, according to the minister, approximately 5,000 Brazilians went to Jordan on tourism trips. “The figure is still low, but we are investing in order to improve these figures,” she claimed. The good news, according to her, is that in the first three months of 2010, the number of Brazilian tourists in Jordan grew by 158%, when compared with the same period last year.
Tourism is one of the most profitable activities in the country, and accounts for 14.7% of the Jordanian GDP. The country invested roughly US$ 50 million in infrastructure per year over the last few years, and allocates a budget of US$ 20 million to the Jordan Tourism Board, an organization that promotes tourism in the country and has a representative in Brazil.