The Jordan Tourism Board is almost doubling its trade budget next year from £100,000 to £180,000, with agents benefiting from more fam trips and a new online training site.
The boost comes as agents gain more earning opportunities from the destination, as operators including Elegant Resorts and Mosaic Holidays feature it for the first time.
In addition, air capacity is increasing as operators including Libra Holidays, Mosaic Holidays and Discover Jordan have started to buy seats on the previously direct-sell Voyages Jules Verne charter flight from Gatwick to Jordan.
The tourism board is also in talks with airlines about more flights operating out of the UK to Jordan, including a possible new route out of the Midlands starting in Autumn 2010.
The new fam trips will be targeted at tour operators’ top-selling agents.
Jordan Tourism Board director of marketing Anwar Atalla said: “It is very important for agents to get first-hand knowledge of Jordan as they are the ones selling it to customers.”
The board currently has a TravelUni training programme, but it is developing a new programme on the Visitjordan.com website, where agents can train and then use the site to build itineraries for clients.
The site will then tell agents which operators they can book that particular itinerary through. It is due to launch towards the end of April next year.
UK director David Symes said: “We want the website to be a one-stop-shop for agents.”
In terms of visitor numbers, the tourism board says the UK is currently slightly down, but it is hoping they will be on a par with last year’s figure of 60,000 by the end of the year.
The destination says the UK is faring well compared to other destinations such as Spain and Russia, where there has been a more significant drop.