Image of several cooks watching a chef perform a demonstration.

A Stronger Tourism Sector in Jordan .

Economic Growth and Trade | Youth Workforce Development | Education | Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development
Middle East and North Africa

Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism (BEST)

Project Dates: June 2015 - May 2021
Beyond enriching the lives of millions of visitors every year, the tourism sector plays a critical role in Jordan’s economy and requires structured support to achieve its full potential.

As Jordan’s largest private sector employer, the tourism sector is an important driver of the national economy and accounts for 14 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. The potential of Jordan’s tourism sector, however, is not being fully realized. The USAID Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism (BEST) project taps into this potential to enable Jordan to become a globally competitive tourist destination. Working with governmental, nongovernmental, and private sector stakeholders in tourism development, the project is improving the country’s tourism workforce as well as its products, facilities, and services. Jordan BEST is also facilitating immediate and longer-term policy reforms to encourage investments in tourism and improve tourists’ experiences in Jordan.

Prior Initiatives

The BEST project builds on previous USAID/Jordan tourism development projects: Jordan Tourism Development Project (JTD) I, which ran from 2005 to 2008; JTD II, which ran from 2008 to 2013; and most recently, the Economic Growth through Sustainable Tourism (EGST) project, which ran from 2013 to 2015. More than 375 jobs were created through JTD I and II in Madaba and Wadi Rum, two popular tourist destinations. The projects generated $2 million in private sector investment and reached 20,000 industry professionals with a safe food handling campaign.

In three years, EGST used marketing campaigns, which included welcoming 600 travel journalists from 25 countries, to promote Jordan to 10 million travelers around the world. The project also focused particularly on workforce development and training, supporting vocational training centers to help 8,500 students graduate and secure employment at hotels, museums, and other tourism sites. Seventy percent of the 8,500 students achieved this goal.

Project Goals


  • Improve marketing for and management of tourism sites to change perceptions of Jordan and improve services at tourism sites and attractions
  • Increase the low numbers of women and youth in the workforce of the tourism sector, a sector in which the demand for skilled workers is high
  • Change Jordanians’ perceptions of tourism’s value and reputation, preventing stigmas from further limiting the workforce’s potential
  • Work with communities to enhance existing tourism products and create new ones, such as trails and local cultural activities
  • Create new financial loan products for firms in the tourism sector that are tailored to the sector’s needs

Our Impact Banking on Tourism in Jordan

With Sharia-compliant financing, small- and medium-sized tourism enterprises in Jordan can more easily access bank loans that are critical to economic growth.

Beyond enriching the lives of millions of visitors every year, the tourism sector plays a critical role in Jordan’s economy and requires structured support to achieve its full potential.

Read Impact Story
Two smiling men signing documents at a table with United States and Jordan Flags at its center.

Our Impact Changing Perceptions: Countering Stigmas around Tourism in Jordan

With Sharia-compliant financing, small- and medium-sized tourism enterprises in Jordan can more easily access bank loans that are critical to economic growth.

Beyond enriching the lives of millions of visitors every year, the tourism sector plays a critical role in Jordan’s economy and requires structured support to achieve its full potential.

Read Impact Story
Several cooks, a chef, and two men in suits pose for a photo in a kitchen standing behind several small hors d'oeuvres.

Our Impact Changing Perceptions: Boosting Jordan’s International Appeal

Jordan is using partnerships and strategic marketing to promote its tourism sector, changing perceptions about the country’s image in the eyes of international visitors.

Beyond enriching the lives of millions of visitors every year, the tourism sector plays a critical role in Jordan’s economy and requires structured support to achieve its full potential.

Read Impact Story
A museum exhibit with several examples f ancient pottery protected behind glass.
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4,478

tourism jobs created

116,218,829

dollars leveraged for investments in tourism

52

laws, policies, regulations and strategies introduced or updated