Mamoon Allan
The University of Jordan

Suzanna Alkushman
The University of Jordan

This study explores the impact of the Arab Spring on the public and private sectors of tourism in Jordan and the ways of dealing with the repercussions of this crisis by the various tourist authorities in Jordan. The study employed the qualitative method through the use of direct interviews with a sample of public and private tourism bodies in Jordan. The study findings indicate, on one hand, the presence of negative effects on the tourism sector in Jordan, especially with regard to regulations applied on tourism bodies and dealing with tourists such as rising entry fees for tourism destinations, delays in the issuance of documents and visas for inbound tourists, as well as the weakness of tourism promotion in the media. On the other hand, the study pointed to the positive results that have enriched the tourism sector as a result of the Arab Spring crisis. For instance, many international tourists have preferred to travel to Jordan instead of other neighbours’ countries in the region due to best practices of crisis management in Jordanian tourism authorities and the availability of trained tourism staffs that have experiences in safety procedures and crisis management. Finally, the study showed the need to broaden the practices and procedures in the revitalization of the tourism sector to encounter ongoing challenges. The study also suggests performing more effective procedures to develop the Jordanian tourism sector to be able to deal with the consequences of the Arab Spring.

Keywords: The Arab Spring, tourism industry, politics, stakeholders, the Middle East, Jordan