Jordan is stepping up its bid for a larger share of the global business events market, folding a MICE push into a 2026 tourism action plan aimed at longer stays, higher spending and a year-round calendar, according to the Jordan Tourism Board.
The drive comes as the kingdom’s tourism sector recovers from the downturn that followed the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, and as Amman prepares to unveil the Jordan Gate Towers, the country’s tallest buildings, near the capital’s Sixth Circle.
The board’s 2026 plan, approved at its annual meeting under Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Emad Hejazeen, prioritises reducing seasonality, raising the average length of stay and increasing spending per visitor, alongside expanded digital marketing and a stronger presence at international tourism exhibitions. The plan is aligned with Jordan’s Economic Modernisation Vision, which casts tourism as a driver of jobs, GDP and investment.
Business events sit at the centre of that ambition. Jordan already holds one of the largest convention venues in the Middle East, the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre at the Dead Sea, and markets a MICE offer that pairs meetings and congresses with Petra, Wadi Rum, Jerash and the Red Sea at Aqaba within a single, compact itinerary.
The capital now has a landmark to match. After nearly two decades of false starts, fires and a crane collapse, the Jordan Gate Towers near the Sixth Circle are being completed, standing 200 m and 175 m tall. The mixed-use scheme includes a 215-apartment residential tower, a three-storey mall with 72 retail outlets and leisure facilities, with the northern tower and mall due to open in the middle of the year.
The recovery gives the strategy momentum. Jordan welcomed a record 6.35mn visitors in 2023, generating about JOD5.25bn ($7.4bn) in income, before arrivals slipped to 6.108mn in 2024. Revenue rose about 7% to some $7.2bn in the first 11 months of 2025, with arrivals up 20.6% to 2.696mn in the first five months of the year, and Petra recording days of close to 4,000 visitors in early 2026.
The board is also leaning on global events, including the Jordan national football team’s World Cup participation, and supporting low-cost and charter flights to widen access. Ryanair has added routes from Europe, while Queen Alia International Airport continues to expand.
Why it matters for the trade
Jordan’s MICE pitch is a play for higher-yield business at a moment when the global meetings market is forecast to nearly double to more than $103bn a year by 2035. For agents and professional conference organisers, the appeal is the compact geography: a delegate can combine a working session in Amman or at the Dead Sea with Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba in a way few destinations can match over a short programme, which supports exactly the longer stays and higher per-visitor spend the tourism board is chasing.
The board’s support for low-cost and charter access is the practical lever to watch, since MICE group movements depend on reliable lift, and Ryanair’s expanded European routes plus Queen Alia’s growth ease a longstanding constraint. Operators should note the year-round positioning: Jordan is explicitly trying to fill shoulder and low seasons with business events, which is where rate negotiation and availability will be most favourable for planners willing to move groups outside the winter and holiday peaks.