Economic Growth Through Sustainable Tourism Project

Project Dates: July 2013 - August 2015
With millions of people visiting Jordan each year, the government recognized that the tourism industry is a major asset to Jordan’s economy and should be strengthened.

Jordan’s tourism industry generates more than 14 percent of the country’s annual gross domestic product and is the greatest source of private sector employment in the country. To make the most of this economic opportunity, the USAID Economic Growth Through Sustainable Tourism Project (Siyaha) improved Jordan’s competitiveness as an international tourism destination. Building on the Jordan Tourism Development Project (JTD), Siyaha increased the competitiveness of the tourism industry, enhanced the development of the industry’s workforce, expanded tourism activities, helped the public and private sectors develop and sustainably manage tourism resources, and assisted the private sector in opening new tourism markets.

Prior Initiatives

Siyaha built on JTD, which ran from 2005 to 2008, and JTD II, which ran from 2008 to 2013. These two projects created more than 375 jobs in Madaba and Wadi Rum, two popular tourist destinations. The projects also generated $2 million in private sector investment and reached 20,000 industry professionals with a campaign for safe food handling.