Khaberni - Tourist restaurants in Jordan are betting on an improved influx to their establishments during Ramadan compared to the past two seasons, which saw a sharp decline described as "severe", at a time when the Gaza Strip was experiencing unprecedented Israeli aggression over the past two years.
Workers in the sector attribute their optimism about the sector’s performance during Ramadan to the improved public mood in Jordanians after the partial cessation of aggression at the end of last year, according to Al-Ghad.
They pointed out that booking movement and turnout usually begin to pick up with the entry of the second week of Ramadan, noting that activity in the first week is usually limited and focused on pre-dawn meals rather than breaking the fast.
Adel Mar'i, a member of the Jordanian Association of Tourist Restaurants, said, "The restaurants have completed preparations and are ready to welcome the holy month and prepare the menu to present to their customers and visitors at their Ramadan breakfast tables starting from the beginning of this week." He added: "Tourist restaurants offer breakfast deals and Ramadan evening events during this month, hoping to attract customers and encourage activity in light of the weak purchasing power of the citizens." Mar’i expressed hope that the demand in the sector for the current season would be better than its predecessors, after the end of the war on Gaza and the improvement of the citizens’ public mood."
On the other hand, Mar'i did not hide his concern about the impact of cold weather and the advent of the holy month in winter, which may limit turnout at the Ramadan evenings.
Ahmed Al-Khaled, a manager at one of the restaurants in the capital Amman, expects that the size of turnout and bookings during this Ramadan to be better than before due to improved conditions in Gaza.
He explained that the restaurant sector is betting on the second week of the holy month to see an improvement in turnout and bookings to partly compensate for the heavy losses it has suffered for more than two years.
He added: "The restaurants realize that during the early days of the holy month, movement and bookings are modest, but they improve with the entry of the second week."
Al-Khaled confirmed that the restaurants were prepared and ready early for the holy month, through organizing special programs for breakfasts, evenings, and Ramadan sessions.
Last year, the kingdom welcomed more than 7 million visitors from various countries of the world, with an increase of 15.3% compared to the previous year which saw 6.1 million visitors.
According to statistics from the Central Bank of Jordan, the tourism income last year amounted to about $7.8 billion, over 5.523 billion Jordanian dinar, achieving a growth rate of 7.6%, compared to the year 2024.
The contribution of the tourism sector to the Gross Domestic Product is about 14%.
Meanwhile, Ra'fat Al-Najjar, a manager at one of the major restaurants said, "Initial expectations indicate the potential for the sector to regain the Ramadan turnout it experienced before the war on Gaza in the past two years."
He added: "Most restaurants in the sector offer special Ramadan deals whether for breakfast, pre-dawn meals, and Ramadan evenings."
Al-Najjar pointed out that the difficult economic conditions experienced by the citizen could have a somewhat negative reflection on the restaurant sector, amid changing priorities among citizens including the option of breaking fast outside the house.
It is noted that the Kingdom has about 1269 tourist restaurants spread across various regions of the Kingdom and this sector employs more than 21.1 thousand workers in direct job positions.
