São Paulo – The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) has launched an online training tool for Brazilian travel agents to gain better knowledge of the travel destinations and services in the Arab country. The tool is available in Portuguese and its use can be tailored to the needs of each agency, with courses in adventure tourism, religious tourism etc.
“Agents can learn about culture, specific destinations, currency, visiting hours at tourist spots, how to plan routes. These are all of the information required by the customers,” explains Ahmad Al-Hadid, the Jordan Tourism Board’s regional marketing manager.
The tool has existed for a few years now, but the Portuguese version was launched last month. The goal this year is to train almost 1,000 Brazilian agents. “We will try and attract as many agents as we can. This year, the target is 700. Next year, we want to double that figure,” he says.
As agents complete different phases of the online training process, they will take tests to check their knowledge of the country. Their effort can pay off. “The ten agents who sell the most (trips to) Jordan will visit the country,” says Al-Hadid.
Apart from actions targeting travel agents, the JTB is also working to promote Jordan directly among potential tourists in Brazil. Al-Hadid mentions, for instance, that the country provided the backdrop to the ad campaign for the new collection of retail fashion chain Riachuelo, as reported year ANBA.
The executive also says he has taken the Brazilian channel Rede TV to do reports in Jordan, and is currently in talks with TV network Rede Globo for it to produce news stories in Jordanian ground as well.
Another goal is to showcase Jordanian cuisine to Brazilians. “We are in talks with top-tier Brazilian chefs so they can go to Jordan and then discuss their (gastronomic) experience in the country,” explains Al-Hadid.
Brazil is not yet one of the main issuers of tourists to Jordan, says the JTB manager, but figures are on the rise. In the first half alone, the executive notes, Brazilian travellers were up 25% to 5,797 Brazilians in Jordanian land.
“In the next few years, I believe we will see more Brazilians heading for Jordan, and we will have more Portuguese-speaking guides to serve them,” says Al-Hadid.
The manager stresses the fact that airlines such as Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways offer flights with stops from Brazil to Jordan. According to him, a direct Brazil-Jordan flight may come to pass within five to seven years.
For additional information on tourist spots in Jordan go to http://visitjordan.com/Default.aspx.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum