The government had earlier passed a new visa regulation issued by Jordan’s Ministry of Interior. The directive stipulated that women traveling alone to Jordan from several eastern European and North African countries would be required to obtain special entry visas. It was believed this was done to clamp down the growing trend of prostitution in Jordan imported by women from these countries.
However under pressure from tour operators, the rule has been repelled. Tour operators who get a sizable amount of income from such tourists, were afraid that this would discourage tourists from these destinations to come to Jordan.
Jordan’s tourism industry relies heavily on visitors from these destinations, especially from Russia, Bulgaria and Romania.
The original regulation singled out women between the ages of 17-40 from Ukraine, Estonia, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Armenia. It excluded women from these countries who were accompanying their husbands, traveling in official delegations or daughters of high-ranking officials.
In recent years, numerous nightclubs have opened in Jordan. The nightlife boon has driven eastern European women to Jordan to seek employment as servers or bartenders. Tamer Khweis, a lawyer believes it is these women that resort to prostitution for extra money.
Thankfully this added visa stipulation will no longer be a ridiculous problem for Single Women Tourists visiting Jordan.
Source: Mid East News source
