Under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Imad Hijazeen, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, the King Abdullah II Center for Excellence, in cooperation with the Jordan Hotels Association, held a Panel Discussion entitled “Enhancing the Competitiveness of the Private Sector and the Role of Excellence Awards in Distinguished Performance and Incentivization.” The session was attended by the Chairman of the Jordan Hotels Association, representatives of the hotel sector, partners, and experts.

In his remarks, His Excellency Dr. Imad hijazeen emphasized that the development and competitiveness of tourism establishments depend on adopting modern approaches based on innovation, responding to visitors’ needs, and investing in technology and human resources. He stressed that excellence should be embedded as an institutional culture and a continuous approach to improvement, rather than being viewed solely as a means of obtaining awards.

His Excellency also highlighted the role of the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence in enhancing institutional performance and encouraging organizations to adopt best practices, noting that advancing the tourism sector requires effective cooperation between the public and private sectors and strong partnerships that support Jordan’s tourism competitiveness.

For her part, Eng. Widad Qtaishat, Executive Director of the King Abdullah II Center for Excellence, highlighted the Center’s efforts to promote a culture of institutional excellence, quality, innovation, and sustainable competitiveness. She emphasized the strategic importance of the hotel sector and its direct impact on the visitor experience and the quality of tourism services.

Qtaishat noted that the Center, established in 2006, serves as a national reference for institutional excellence and administers the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence for the Private Sector, which encourages organizations to improve performance, adopt best practices, and achieve sustainable results. She also highlighted the Center’s developmental services, including Recognition for Excellence (R4E), delivered in cooperation with the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM).

Mr. Hussein Hilalat, Chairman of the Jordan Hotels Association, emphasized the importance of advancing the hospitality sector in response to rapidly changing regional and global markets and the growing expectations of guests. He noted that the recent Memorandum of Understanding between the Association and the Center aims to embed a culture of excellence within Jordanian hotels by encouraging participation in the Award and benefiting from awareness and training programs.

Hilalat stressed that participation in the Award represents a comprehensive development journey that contributes to enhancing hotel reputation, improving guest experience, motivating employees, and strengthening systems and governance. He called on hotel owners and managers to participate actively in the Award and benefit from the programs implemented through the partnership.

Mr. Hani Al-Dabbas, Vice Chairman of the Jordan Hotels Association, highlighted the importance of engaging hotels in the Award’s excellence framework, noting that adopting institutional excellence standards contributes to improving service quality, enhancing guest experience, strengthening management and governance, developing employees’ capabilities, and increasing the competitiveness of Jordanian hotels.

The session included a presentation by the King Abdullah II Center for Excellence on the role of excellence awards in institutional development and competitiveness, followed by discussions, questions, and observations from participants on strengthening excellence and service quality in the tourism sector.

The meeting concluded with an emphasis on continuing cooperation between the King Abdullah II Center for Excellence and the Jordan Hotels Association to promote a culture of excellence, enhance institutional performance, and strengthen the competitiveness of Jordan’s tourism sector.