JTB, Saudi delegation talk tourism cooperation

AMMAN — The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) on Sunday received a delegation of representatives from Saudi travel agencies, as part of an exploratory tour organised in cooperation with the Royal Jordanian Airline (RJ).

The tour is part of the JTB's ongoing efforts to enhance tourism cooperation with Gulf markets, which featured field visits to a number of tourist destinations across the Kingdom, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

JTB Director General Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat said that the JTB views the Saudi market as a “strategic and crucial” partner for the Jordanian tourism sector.

Through these introductory visits, he noted that the board seeks to enhance relations with partners in Saudi Arabia and highlight Jordan's "unique" tourist experiences.

Arabiyat added: "Such tours, organised in cooperation with RJ, contributes to boosting the two countries' tourist ties and open the way for customised travel programmes that align with aspirations of Gulf tourists, which enhances chances of attracting more visitors in the coming seasons."

The tour aimed to introduce the Saudi delegation to Jordan's diverse tourist assets, mainly its "unique" archaeological sites and natural landscapes, as well as "picturesque and authentic" hospitality experiences, Petra added.

On the sidelines of the visit, the board held a workshop for representatives of Saudi travel offices and their Jordanian tourism sector counterparts to discuss opportunities for direct cooperation and open up "strategic" partnerships that serve aspirations of the Gulf tourism market.

This initiative comes within the framework of JTB strategy to enhance Jordan's presence in the Gulf market, especially in Saudi Arabia, which is "one of the key target" destinations, given its size and "positive" impact on the national tourism sector, the board pointed out.