By Zayed Alzyoud
Under the patronage of Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Dr. Emad Hijazeen, the University of Jordan’s (UJ) School of Archaeology and Tourism held a specialised workshop examining how Jordan’s tourism labour market is evolving and how university education can keep graduates job ready.
Titled “Tourism Labour Market Transformations: The Role of University Education in Preparing Qualified Human Capital,” the workshop brought together academics and stakeholders from the public and private tourism sectors to identify priority skills needs and strengthen alignment between university programmes and workplace demand.
Speakers emphasised applied training and practical digital competencies that increasingly shape the visitor journey, from online discovery and booking to on the ground service delivery and post visit engagement.
Discussions also highlighted experience design and service innovation as tourism shifts from measuring success by volume alone to competing on value, quality, and consistency.
UJ President Prof. Nathir Obeidat said the University is operating in an era of rapid change, stressing that graduate development depends on keeping pace with accelerated, technology driven transformation while cultivating creativity and innovation.
He highlighted communication, service design, innovation, and digital literacy as skills that are becoming central to employability across the sector.
Hijazeen described the workshop as part of a broader human capital development pathway for tourism, which he said functions as an integrated ecosystem where public policy, education, and labour market needs intersect.
He noted that rapid shifts have reshaped job profiles and required skill sets, adding that the focus is increasingly on the quality of the tourism experience being developed, the types of jobs it generates, and how national talent is prepared to fill them.
He stressed that cooperation with universities must be a working partnership grounded in sustained, practical collaboration that responds to real market demand.
Dean of the School of Archaeology and Tourism Prof. Ismail Abu Amoud said the workshop reflects the value of direct dialogue between higher education and the tourism sector at a time of accelerating change.
He noted that the School’s UN Tourism TedQual accreditation represents a global quality benchmark and an added responsibility to sustain continuous development, stressing that the School views itself as an active partner in building Jordan’s human capital for the tourism industry.
The workshop also covered destination branding, digital marketing, and content management, alongside the growing influence of platforms on tourism demand and distribution.
Participants discussed competencies including customer relationship management, online reputation management, data analytics, and conference and exhibition management, in addition to English proficiency and workplace readiness.
Medical and wellness tourism were also discussed as promising growth areas for Jordan, given the country’s advanced healthcare sector and diverse natural assets.
The workshop concluded with a call to invest in students through stronger training pathways and sustained industry partnerships, positioning human capital as a key driver of competitiveness and long term sustainability in Jordan’s tourism sector.