Jordan Times
Monday, April 5, 2004
Tourism minister,
consortium discuss Ajloun development plan
By Dalya Dajani
AMMAN Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and
Minister of Environment Alia Bouran on Sunday provided her feedback on the
preliminary findings of the Urban Regeneration and Tourism Development Master
Plan for Ajloun Governorate.
The plan, which seeks to capitalise on the area's vast rural landscape to
enhance the lives of its community, is being formalised by a consortium of local
companies. It is designed to see the comprehensive development of Ajloun by
tapping into tourism-related investment opportunities, heritage conservation,
urban improvement, protected zones and extending the zoning to protect the
area's forestry.
Such attention will be geared towards developing tourist-based infrastructure
and facilities and designating land for potential construction of parks and
hotels in the area.
Bouran informed representatives of the consortium yesterday on the need to take
into account preservation of certain sites under the development process.
The Ajloun Urban Regeneration and Tourism Development Master Plan, supported by
the Ministry of Planning, the European Union and the World Bank, encompasses a
broad strategy involving experts ranging from conservationists and architects,
to socio-economists working against unplanned, uncoordinated and uncontrolled
investment and development projects, by partnering with municipalities. Land use
regulations, which include environmental protection measures, would ensure
controlled urban development up to 2015. Similar plans were undertaken in Petra
and Karak.
The companies yesterday provided Bouran with a summary of their preliminary
field findings, pin-pointing the entities responsible for developing Ajloun's
tourism potential on both the municipal and grassroots levels.
The preservation of Ajloun's lush landscapes is marked high on the ministry's
agenda, and includes a keen interest by Her Majesty Queen Rania who visited the
area earlier this year.
Queen Rania had then described Ajloun as having the potential of being the
environmental capital of the Kingdom, providing specialty tourism, products and
services such as health spas, organically grown products, and even serving as a
regional base for environmental conferences.
She did, however, express the need to enhance the area's tourism potential and
seek investments that would benefit local community.
For example, the Ajloun Nature Reserve in the village of Um Al Yanabi where a
JD120,000 eco-tourism project carried out by the RSCN and Jordan River
Foundation is under way is set to provide job opportunities for local
residents within the scope of protecting the environment.
During the meeting, the minister also stressed the importance of tapping into
prospects for microenterprise projects from which the local community can
benefit.