As part of Jordan’s wider 2025 cultural campaign, the Jordan International Food Festival returns to Amman from August 6 to 11, 2025.
JIFF 2025 unites Michelin-star chefs, global talents, and regional innovators for six days of live cooking, masterclasses, and cultural celebration. Highlights include 200 food vendors, 40 chefs, pop-up restaurants, family zones, concerts, and a new GastroDiplomacy Pavilion showcasing global cuisines. Experience where Jordan’s culinary past meets its creative future.
Driving culinary tourism growth
The six-day event highlights Jordan’s growing appeal as a hospitality and tourism destination for culinary enthusiasts from across the region and beyond. Bringing together chefs, restaurants and food producers, the festival offers a unique platform to showcase the diversity of Jordan’s gastronomic heritage.
Boosting domestic travel and hospitality
Notably, the festival also supports local tourism by driving domestic travel and creating immersive, family-friendly experiences throughout the capital city. Attracting both international visitors and regional food lovers, the event is expected to significantly boost hotel occupancy and restaurant footfall. Crucially, the Jordan International Food Festival integrates culture, cuisine and entertainment, helping elevate Jordan’s image as a comprehensive experiential travel destination. As part of the program, Egyptian pop star Ahmed Saad will perform on August 7, adding a musical layer to the festivities. His performance is anticipated to draw large crowds, reinforcing the festival’s positioning as a lifestyle and tourism-driven celebration. The food festival aligns with the country’s goal to increase visitor arrivals and tourism spending. Moreover, it complements Jordan’s wider cultural calendar that includes Jerash Festival, Amman International Film Festival and the Fuheis Festival.
Merging heritage with modern appeal
By hosting events across historical venues, Jordan continues to integrate heritage tourism with modern experiences that appeal to diverse traveler profiles. The Jordan Tourism Board expects this event to generate positive media coverage and further strengthen Jordan’s reputation for authentic local hospitality. Festival organizers are also working closely with hotels, transport providers and tourism operators to ensure a seamless visitor experience.
Dr. Abdelrazzak Arabiyat, managing director of the Jordan Tourism Board, stated the festival reflects Jordan’s readiness to welcome travelers. He said: “The extraordinary lineup is an open invitation to experience Jordan’s soul. This underlines our commitment to providing seamless and rich cultural experiences for all visitors in 2025. The country’s diverse attractions and easy access ensure that whether visitors come for leisure, business or cultural exploration, 2025 is the year of growth to Jordan Tourism, and we are open to the world. The tourism industry has put together unique cultural, artistic and immersive experiences to ensure each tourist enjoys their journey here.”
Tapping into global culinary tourism trends
Additionally, culinary tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments globally, and Jordan is positioning itself firmly within that movement. Industry stakeholders are optimistic that the festival will lead to long-term gains for restaurants, hospitality brands and experience-based tourism operators. Supported by robust marketing campaigns and regional partnerships, the festival is designed to increase Jordan’s share of the MENA travel market.
Opening Jordan through festivals and experiences
With every dish served and every performance staged, Jordan aims to offer visitors a compelling reason to return and explore further. The Jordan International Food Festival is part of a larger national effort to open up tourism through events like the Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts (July 23 – August 2), the Amman International Film Festival (July 2–10), the Fuheis Festival, the Echoes of Heritage at Kerak Castle (July 25), Pluma Circus, Abla Fahita Live (July 19) and concerts by artists such as Wael Kfoury, Abeer Nehme, Kadim Al Sahir, Farrah El Dibany and Sami Yusuf. Together, these experiences reflect Jordan’s commitment to building a year-round cultural tourism economy and showcasing its hospitality to the world.
