VZCZCXRO2137
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHAM #3159/01 2061409
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 251409Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9633
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 003159 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON SCUL JO
SUBJECT: PETRA'S VICTORY AS NEW WORLD WONDER CAPTIVATES A NATION, 
OFFERS HOPE FOR MORE ECONOMIC GROWTH 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  Petra's candidacy and victory as one of seven "New 
Wonders of the World" have dominated the news and attention of 
Jordan since mid-June.  Tourism has been growing in Jordan in spite 
of regional instability, and officials are optimistic that Petra's 
new designation will cause the tourism sector, which represented 11% 
of GDP in 2006, to rapidly expand.  The challenge will be overcoming 
significant infrastructure limitations in support of this 
fast-growing industry.  Helping Jordan develop its strategy to 
promote the sector is an important part of USAID's "Economic 
Opportunities" program.  End Summary. 
 
Petra Wins! 
----------- 
 
¶2. (U) Petra, a stone city first settled 2600 years ago, was the 
capital of Arab Nabataean nomads who transformed the area into a 
junction for silk, spice, and trade routes.  Travelers who make the 
three-hour drive from Amman to the southwestern Jordanian city are 
rewarded with awe-inspiring scenery of rose-colored sandstone ruins 
amidst a winding canyon.  Petra was designated a UNHCR Heritage Site 
in 1985.  Those who have not visited Petra may recognize its 
spectacular Treasury building, which, carved into the side of a 
cliff, provided the backdrop for the climatic scene in "Indiana 
Jones and the Last Crusade." 
 
¶3. (U) On July 7 at 1:00 am local time, following Petra's official 
designation as one of the seven "New Wonders of the World," 
fireworks exploded over Amman and thousands celebrated in Petra and 
Amman with cheering, flag-waving, and dancing.  The victory has been 
covered extensively in the local media and in speeches by the Prime 
Minister, the Minister of Culture, the Minister of Tourism and 
Antiquities, and other government officials.  Newspaper headlines 
for several days following the announcement focused on Petra, with 
the Iraq war and Palestinian issues demoted to below the fold.  As 
part of the on-going celebrations, officials at the Central Bank 
told EconCouns that they intend to issue a commemorative Petra coin, 
valued at approximately $50. 
 
Jordan Rocks the Vote 
--------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) In the weeks leading up to the election, Jordanian companies 
put ads in newspapers urging Jordanians to vote.  Jordan Telecom 
established public cellular and Internet kiosks and toured 57 
locations to encourage voting.  Jordanian visitors were handed 
leaflets upon arrival at Amman's airport urging them to vote.  "Vote 
for Petra" even became a talking point for General Khalid Sarayreh, 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Jordan's Armed Forces, 
during a meeting with U.S. National Guard head Lieutenant General 
Steven Blum, as well as other senior USG visitors.  Jordanian 
participation in the balloting was estimated at 40% of the 
population a week before the deadline.  Worldwide, an estimated 100 
million people voted via Internet and telephone, with Petra 
receiving an estimated 22 million votes.  NOTE: Voters voted for 
their top seven candidates from a list of 21 contenders.  END NOTE. 
 
Tourism:  A Growing Industry 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Tourism is a mainstay of Jordan's economy, and the Central 
Bank estimates tourism receipts of JD 1.16 billion ($1.64 billion), 
annually, representing 11% of GDP in 2006.  The Central Bank of 
Jordan reported in mid-July that tourism receipts had grown 30% in 
the first quarter of 2007 as compared to the same period in 2006. 
Tourism is also the country's second largest contributor to foreign 
exchange, surpassed only by workers' remittances.  Jordan's National 
Tourism Strategy is focused on increasing tourism by 2010 to JD 1.9 
billion, thereby generating JD 408 million ($576M) in tax revenue 
and supporting 308,000 jobs nationally.  Jordan's optimism is not 
unfounded; the most recent UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 
figures revealed that the number of tourists traveling to the Middle 
East between January and April 2007 had grown 8% compared to the 
same period in 2006.  Middle Eastern tourism revenues grew an 
estimated 2% to $27 billion, but the growth was still less than 
inflation. 
 
¶6. (U) This growth in Jordan has occurred at a time when Jordan is 
surrounded by increased instability among almost all of its 
neighbors.  Ahmad El Bashiti, Jordan Inbound Tour Operators 
Association Executive Director, told EconOff on July 11 that tour 
operators are still recovering from a series of shocks in the 
sector:  9/11, the start of the war in Iraq, and to a lesser extent 
the war in Lebanon.  He said this cyclical nature can cause 
short-sightedness in investments and upkeep.  A hotel general 
manager in Petra concurred that tourism has only started recovering 
this summer.  He added that any spike in tourism due to Petra's 
victory will most likely not occur before next year because most 
tourists to Petra travel with tour groups and book months in 
advance.  Nevertheless, regional officials and hotel employees all 
 
AMMAN 00003159  002 OF 002 
 
 
expected Petra's victory would bring more visitors, more hotel room 
bookings, and hence more revenue.  The Ministry Tourism and 
Antiquities predicted the number of tourists to Petra to double. 
Petra averages 300,000-400,000 annual visitors, with 223,084 in the 
first five months of 2007. 
 
Need for Infrastructure 
----------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) Executives throughout the tourism industry said that while 
the selection of Petra as a "new wonder" will serve as excellent 
free advertising, Jordan must take significant steps towards 
improving the quality of its tourist attractions.  El Bashiti said 
Petra needs more and better restaurants, better facilities and 
transportation for elderly and handicapped travelers, and upgrades 
in the main trail running through Petra's ruins to provide more 
landscaping and shade.  Officials from the Jordan Tourism Board said 
that improvements to the restrooms and visitor center, as well as 
enhanced interpretation facilities, were urgently needed if Jordan 
was going to benefit from the publicity. 
 
¶8.  (U) A Petra Regional Authority official added that the Petra 
area needs more attractions for younger tourists.  Many officials 
pointed-out that visitors to Petra are typically older, educated, 
and traveling in a group.  One Petra visitor said that Petra 
absolutely deserved the new title, but cautioned that the "visit 
experience" needs to be improved before more people will come.  She 
said visitors are harassed by hawkers almost nonstop, which detracts 
from the overall experience, and further commented the hotels, while 
adequate, do not live up to their five-star billing. 
 
¶9.  (U) During a July 18 meeting with the Ambassador, Minister of 
Transport Saud Nseirat said that in the next few months, additional 
buses will be added to the Amman-Petra route.  He noted that 
transportation to the park is a relatively easy fix in light of 
Petra's other challenges.  Nseirat said Petra's image and experience 
still need to be enhanced, including restaurants and animal-based 
transportation. 
 
Need for Protection 
------------------- 
 
¶10. (U) At a July 15 conference on tourism and antiquities, audience 
members including academics described Jordan as "an open-air 
museum," and emphasized that the historical treasures need to be 
protected.  There was particular concern for the role of private 
companies within heritage areas, an idea strongly supported by the 
tourism industry associations.  Jordan has an estimated 150,000 
archaeological sites, very few of which have been developed, 
including Petra which remains only 15% excavated. 
 
Investments Underway 
------------------- 
 
¶11. (U) Some important investments to support Petra are already well 
underway.  Econoff visited July 17 the nearly completed 
reconstruction of Iljee Village in the town of Petra.  This open-air 
museum will add to the tourist experiences in town, which officials 
hope will extend tourists' stay in Petra and in Jordan.  USAID is in 
the process of approving a grant to Petra National Trust to carry 
out a zoning exercise.  This exercise would designate where 
amenities can be located within Petra, and would include all of the 
parties which have responsibilities in Petra, including the Ministry 
of Tourism.  This would be part of larger efforts by USAID's SIYAHA 
project to help preserve Jordanian antiquities.  Separately in 
March, the USG supported the Petra National Trust's efforts to 
preserve a Nabataean wall painting with a grant of $33,817 from the 
Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation 
 
¶12. (U) On July 16 in an area adjacent to Petra, Queen Rania 
inaugurated the premises of the Faculty of Antiquities, Tourism and 
Hotel Management founded at Al Hussein Ben Talal University. 
Additionally, a new university will be built in Aqaba with USAID 
support.  One of the university's five colleges will focus on hotel 
management.  These new programs will help meet the significant need 
for trained tourism professionals and help to build Jordan's tourism 
sector. 
 
Visit Amman's Classified Website at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman 
 
HALE