Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management

How the "Arab Spring" Influenced Tourism and Hospitality Industry in Jordan: Perceptions of Workers in Tourism and Hospitality Business
Khalid M.A. Magablih, Mairna Hussein Mustafa

Abstract
This study aims at exploring the impact of “Arab Spring” on tourism and hospitality industry in Jordan from the perception of employees in the private sector. A questionnaire was designed to include a number of questions which are derived from reports on the economic impact of Arab Spring, and studies on crisis management models, this questionnaire targeted the workers in hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and other service providers since these were mostly influenced by Arab Spring. In general, the respondents agreed that there was a negative influence of the political instability in MENA (Middle East & North Africa) Region on the performance of tourism and hospitality sectors, especially for indicators concerning number of arrivals, revenues, tourist spending and offered job opportunities. Moreover, there is a general dissatisfaction with the actions taken by Jordanian tourism authorities to manage this crisis. The study then gives suggestions on dealing with such emergent situation.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jthm.v6n2a11