Hotel occupancy rates during Eid Al Adha below expectations — JHA

AMMAN — Hotel occupancy rates in the Kingdom during Eid Al Adha were not up to expectations, according to the Jordan Hotels Association (JHA).

JHA President Abdul Hakeem Al Hindi told The Jordan Times that hotel occupancy rates in Amman reached 42 per cent, while in the Dead Sea area rates reached 70 per cent and 25 per cent in Petra.

Hotel occupancy rates in Aqaba varied depending on the hotel classification, Hindi said, noting that five-star hotel occupancy rates reached 80 per cent, while the hotels classified under five stars only reached 50 per cent, as a maximum.

He added that a reason behind the low occupancy rates is that this year’s eid coincided with Tawjihi (the General Secondary Education Certificate Examination), in addition to the many families prioritising the sacrifice of animals for Eid Al Adha.

“The low demand of domestic tourism is a clear indication of the weak economic capacity of citizens, as people have rearranged their spending priorities, which also affects shops and restaurants’ business in the Kingdom,” Hindi added.

According to Sandra Nino, marketing and communications executive at a four-star hotel in Amman, the hotel’s eid occupancy reached 90 per cent and continued to rise during the weekend to reach full booking.

However, Malik Athamneh, sales manager at a five-star hotel at the Dead Sea, told The Jordan Times that the demand was “disappointing” during Eid Al Adha.

“We had a 40 per cent occupancy rate, which is way less than Eid Al Fitr and it was unexpected, as we usually reach way higher percentages, especially during holidays and summer, whether from Jordanians or tourists,” Athamneh said.