Work

Jordan Tourism Board

Newlink Spain has represented the Jordan Tourism Board in the Spanish market since 2009. After two years of steady growth in the number of Spanish tourists visiting the country, we faced a two-fold crisis: the Arab Spring and a severe economic downturn in Spain.

Objectives

• Position Jordan as an oasis of peace in an unstable region.
• Change negative perceptions of the destination.
• Return to the upward trend in the number of tourists visiting the country.
• Show Jordan’s varied tourist offering: history and culture, religion and faith, gastronomy, adventure and nature.

barriers

• General tendency to lump Jordan in with conflict-ridden countries despite the absence of any incidents or uprisings.
• Tourists’ fear of traveling to the country, due primarily to alarmist information published in certain media outlets.
• Tendency among travel agents to recommend other destinations  they consider safer.

Recepients

• Potential travelers to Jordan among consumers, general public, not only for vacation purposes but also as a MICE destination.
• Tourism industry: tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, etc.
• The media, not only those specializing in tourism, but also in areas of general interest, lifestyle, gastronomy, religion, adventure, etc.
• Associations

Transformation

We at Newlink Spain, as the Jordan Tourism Board’s representative in Spain, launched an ambitious and aggressive campaign focused on restoring market confidence in the destination.

We worked closely with the tourism industry, the media, and opinion leaders to approach and impact consumers from different angles.

Our distribution channel development involved promoting product creation through sales calls, seminars, and presentations, as well as launching campaigns with leading tour operators, agency networks, and online agencies. 

Our strategy included a focus on diversification, notably developing the religious and adventure segments.

We also carried out an important communications campaign in both the media and on social networking sites in an effort to drive home the safety message.

That campaign included press releases, interviews, and special media collaborations. But our main focus was on organizing press trips, encouraging journalists and bloggers to visit the destination, gain a first-hand appreciation for its level of public safety and attractions, and then, upon returning home, share those experiences with consumers of their content.

We also took part in co-branding campaigns with luxury brands, thereby linking up with celebrities and influencers who traveled to the destination and led the way in touting the level of public safety in Jordan. Aitana Sánchez Gijón - Petra,  the charm of desert // Cover + 22 pages report on CondeNast Traveler Spain

Programs Used