Jordan’s response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic was quick and strict. The preemptive steps and containment strategies included a shutdown of all tourist sites and a four-day country-wide lockdown in March, followed by strict curfews and quarantines. These measures have been effective in combating the virus; there are currently fewer than two-hundred active cases in the country and local infections have been in the single digits for weeks.
Jordan’s Safe Travels Recognition
The World Travel and Tourism Council has recently approved Jordan with their “Safe Travels” stamp as a result of their successful response to the global pandemic. This allows travelers to recognize destinations that have adopted health and hygiene global standardized protocols.
The Prime Minister has announced that the airports will begin operating flights at the end of July (UPDATE: International commercial flights to and from Jordan’s Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) will resume the first or second week of August). Flights to and from destinations with low numbers of COVID-19 cases will be among the first to reopen, though details as to which countries have yet to emerge (see below for “green countries” named on 16 July).
Tourism contributes around twenty percent to Jordan’s GDP. With the cessation of inbound flights for months now, Jordanian tourism has been hit hard by the crisis. It will also take the longest to recover as measures will be taken to ensure this coronavirus does not become re-introduced via tourists. What these measures will be has not yet been announced.
Helpful COVID-19 Information For Travelers to Jordan
Below are a number of resources to follow to understand the current situation of COVID-19 in Jordan and the steps being taken to safely begin welcoming international travelers again.
Jordan’s Ministry of Health keeps updated announcements regarding the number of cases here.- Royal Jordanian, Jordan’s flagship airline, has COVID-19 information for passengers here.
- Hotels have implemented new operational protocols inline with the World Health Organization recommendations and requirements. These can be found here.
- UPDATE: Travelers from the following “green countries” will be allowed to travel to and from Jordan and not need to undergo quarantine upon arrival, however they will need to have undergone a COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to arrival.
- Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Hong Kong and Thailand.
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We look forward to welcoming you to Jordan!
