Prolonged Gaza crisis undermines Jordan's tourism sector

STORY: Prolonged Gaza crisis undermines Jordan's tourism sector SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 31, 2023 DATELINE: Jan. 1, 2024 LENGTH: 00:01:52 LOCATION: Amman CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of visitors in the Amman Citadel 2. various of Saba Ajlouni working in her office 3. SOUNDBITE (English): SABA AJLOUNI, Operations manager at a tourism company in Amman STORYLINE: The prolonged deadly conflict in the Gaza Strip has negatively impacted Jordan's tourism sector and cast a shadow on the country's economy, said industry insiders. A recent report by the World Bank on Jordan's economy indicated that the eruption of the conflict in the Middle East and the concerns over its prolongation or escalation carries high risks for the kingdom's economy, which is expected to grow by 2.6 percent in 2023 and slightly decline to 2.5 percent in 2024. Even in the case of a contained conflict, neighboring countries may still be perceived as a risky destination. This could have implications for Jordan's external accounts, given