AMMAN, Nov. 11 (Petra) – Jordan is increasingly positioning educational tourism as a core strategic driver to elevate the Kingdom’s global competitive edge, leveraging its accredited universities, regional academic reputation, and deep historical and cultural heritage.

Unlike seasonal leisure travel, international student enrollment acts as a multi-year economic engine. It generates sustained domestic demand across accommodation, transport, retail, and hospitality, while mitigating traditional tourism seasonality through steady year-round spending.

Hani Al-Dabbas, Board Member and Spokesperson for the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB), described educational tourism as a long-term strategic investment in Jordan’s human capital, economy, and global standing.

Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), Al-Dabbas noted that international students operate as long-term economic residents whose financial footprint extends to visits by families and friends, multiplying overall economic returns.

Al-Dabbas stated that JTB is shifting away from traditional location-based marketing toward positioning Jordan as an international hub for specialized knowledge, technical training, and skill-building.

The strategy relies on data analytics, institutional cross-sector partnerships between higher education and tourism, and targeted digital campaigns in key source markets. As part of this expansion, JTB recently signed a cooperation agreement with the King Hussein Air College Technical University for Aviation Sciences to promote technical and specialized aviation instruction internationally.

Statistical indicators highlight the growing scope of the sector. Dr. Ismail Abu Aamoud, Dean of the Faculty of Archaeology and Tourism at the University of Jordan, revealed that the Kingdom recorded an all-time high of over 55,000 international students from 119 countries during the 2025/2026 academic year. Private universities enrolled 65 percent of the international student body, with public state institutions hosting the remaining 35 percent.

Abu Aamoud estimated the annual expenditure of foreign students at approximately JD 700 million, emphasizing that non-local students yield an economic return significantly higher than their public service utilization costs. He added that off-campus spending on goods, services, housing, and family visits routinely matches or exceeds baseline tuition fees.

Amman’s recognition as the top Arab student city in the QS rankings underscores Jordan’s competitive advantages, which include safety, cultural affinity, language, competitive tuition costs, and strategic location.

Addressing structural development, Dr. Hakam Shatnawi, Professor of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Yarmouk University, emphasized that expanding educational tourism depends on maintaining international academic accreditations and pushing Jordanian institutions higher in global university rankings, which govern state scholarship programs and student placement.

Shatnawi urged broader academic partnerships, streamlined admission and residency procedures for foreign nationals, and joint international marketing initiatives involving universities, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the JTB.

//Petra// AA