On behalf of Icon Institut GmbH, Kai Partale worked on a tourism study to increase the competitiveness of micro, small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (MSMEs) in Jordan and supported GIZ with a team of experts in the preparation of the study.

The GIZ project "Employment-oriented MSME promotion in Jordan" has identified tourism as a sector with high growth and employment potential and aims to improve a) the competitiveness of enterprises, b) the skills within MSMEs and c) the business and investment climate for MSMEs active in tourism.

The study was carried out in close cooperation with the sector's stakeholders in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the sector's structure and current and projected trends, as well as the challenges and opportunities for improved competitiveness inside Jordan and abroad.

The work focused on:

• A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the sector its trends and potentials.
• Defining the relevant market segments that are most promising for improved competitiveness.
• Investigation of labour market needs, trends and growth potentials in order to identify specific economic opportunities for employment promotion.
• Identification of the fundamental tourism policy and institutional issues affecting national and international competitiveness.
• To provide strategic options for improving competitiveness, including a strategic framework and possible areas of intervention.