22 cruise ships to arrive in Aqaba in November — ASEZA

AMMAN — Cruise ship traffic is expected to reach its peak this month as 22 cruise ships are scheduled to arrive at the Aqaba Port, said Commissioner for Tourism and Environment in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) Nidal Majali.

The tourism sector in Aqaba is witnessing an “exceptional recovery”, he told The Jordan Times. 

Around 1.3 million tourists have entered Aqaba from various border crossings so far, with roughly 700,000 hotel check-ins at an average stay of 2.2 days, he said. 

Thirty-four cruise ships carrying around 45,000 tourists, mostly from European countries, are scheduled to arrive at the Aqaba Port during the winter season, which lasts from October until February, Majali added.

By the end of 2022, the number of cruise ship tourists alone is expected to exceed 80,000, he continued. 

The Aqaba Port received 25 cruise ships carrying a total of approximately 18,000 tourists in the first three months of this year, the Jordan News Agency, Petra reported. 

Last year, the number of cruise ship tourists arriving to Aqaba reached 11,750, an increase of 2,500 individuals compared to 2020, according to ASEZA. 

Aqaba has maintained its status as “a leading regional hub for marine tourism, receiving thousands of tourists from various countries”, Majali said. 

He pointed out that most tourists come to visit Jordan’s “Golden Triangle”: Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba, which are the source of 14 per cent of the Kingdom’s tourism revenue.

Aqaba’s location, the diversity of its marine life, its flourishing coral reefs and the exciting sports activities it offers, such as scuba diving, play a vital role in making it “a top and favourite” regional travel destination for tour operators, he added. 

Hotels in Aqaba have recorded an occupancy rate exceeding 90 per cent, according to Majali, who noted that Aqaba has also attracted an increased number of Arab tourists, reaching roughly 240,000 this year.