A new classification of hotels in Jordan

A new classification system for hotels was officially launched in Jordan. The new system has been working since February 2010. The presentation of the new classification of hotels for general public was supported by Maha Al Khatib, the Minister of Tourism and Heritage of Jordan. The event was attended by representatives of practically all the hotels of Jordan, as well as numerous tour operators and representatives of tourist companies.

The new hotel classification was developed by the Ministry of Tourism of Jordan in cooperation with a joint Jordanian-American venture USAID / Jordan Tourism Development Project II. According to the internet resource www.indianexpress.com, dozens of companies and government structures of Jordan were also involved in the development of the system.

Up to date Jordan was known primarily as a region of the target tourism. The major part of tourists arriving in Jordan, visit mainly the ancient city of Petra, as well as the diving resort of Aqaba. The development of the own hotel classification system should make it easier for foreign tourists to travel around the country and make a holiday in Jordan more affordable and practical.

It is expected that in the next five years the total number of hotel rooms in Jordan will be increased by 30% compared to the current period and will amount up to 30 000 units. The promotion of Jordan as a promising tourist destination will be assisted by the opening of a new international airport in Amman, which is scheduled for 2011.

The new classification of hotels in Jordan will enable to cover the full range of hotel room property: state hotels, hotels of the world's major chains and hundreds of small private hotels located in different parts of the country.

The new classification focuses primarily on the variety and quality of offered services. For each category the own system of standards has been designed - mandatory and recommended. The hotel, which intends to obtain a category, must bring its services in strict accordance with mandatory standards, based on provision of guest with the comfort, safety and hygiene. Recommended standards involve the accumulation of points by hotel for various criteria of service. In order to qualify for a business hotel status, the hotel should meet such criteria as high-speed internet and the availability of conference rooms.

The uniqueness of the new classification of hotels in Jordan is that it has a centralized constantly updated database. Thus the Ministry of Tourism in Jordan, as the supervisory authority, and the client, as an interested party, can get detailed information about the particular hotel in Jordan.