Breaking: Jordan Warns Travellers Against Unlicensed Travel Agencies: How to Check Before Booking
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The Arab Post
- . October 14, 2026
- . Update: October 14, 2026 7:48 pm
As travellers increasingly find themselves the victims of digital scams involving travel agencies that are not registered, Jordan cautions against them today. Unlicensed Travel Agencies in Jordan, On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, the Jordan Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities issued a national alert for all consumers to thoroughly verify their travel service company with them before making an investment.
According to the strict warning from the government, those who are operating the websites of social networks, mobile applications, and unauthenticated websites under the name of tourism packages are under strong suspicion that they are operating under false names.
Crackdown on Digital Fraud and Unverified Operators
Jordan’s state-run Jordan News Agency (Petra) said the message to consumers is that they should adhere to legally recognised tourist offices. The use of unofficial websites puts travellers at risk of financial fraud, fake bookings and poor service.
Any type of marketing tourism services or online platform relating to tourism is prohibited and strictly forbidden without prior authorization from the Ministry,” the Ministry explained. The government is not interested in allowing non-classed business entities to operate, as this will have the opposite effect of raising the quality of the national tourism sector and will not increase consumer rights.
Strict Penalties Under the Jordan Tourism Law
Authorities are assertively applying the national Tourism Law’s regulatory system to ensure compliance. Article 9 clearly states that no entity is allowed to engage in tourism activities without institutional approvals for these activities.
Moreover, the government has plans of imposing harsh penalties on offenders, as reported by Jordan News. Article 21 specifies very tough punishment for the offenders found to be operating without permission on selling the tourism packages.
Persons convicted on charges of running an illegal travel business will be imprisoned immediately from 6 months and up to one year. In addition, heavy financial penalties are imposed on the violators, ranging from JOD 3,000 to JOD 10,000. Depending on the fraud’s severity, the courts can impose both sentence of imprisonment along with the highest possible fine on the offender.
How to Verify Travel Agency Licenses – Unlicensed Travel Agencies in Jordan
The government is reminding anyone wishing to travel to visit sites that are supported by the Jordan Tourism Board to do their homework before paying for anything they see.
Official warnings are very clear that they don’t want you to send money to an unverified bank account or mobile wallet that is associated with a lot of social media scams. Rather, the consumers have to check the licenses of travel agencies and its official classification before finalizing their travel deals.
For this purpose, the Ministry has set up a direct verification channel for the public. Citizens, residents and tourists can get a confirmation of an agency’s legal status immediately from the Ministry on (06) 460 3360.
Finally, this proactive measure shows the government’s desire to ensure the tourism market. While Jordan warns travellers against unlicensed travel agencies, authorities are reminding the public that a couple minutes spent checking just a few things will insure a safe, financially protected and legally secured travel experience.
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