Jordan Times
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
60,000 tourists visit Baptism Site in first half of
2006
By Dalya Dajani
AMMAN — Around 60,000 tourists visited the Baptism Site during the first half of
this year, with officials predicting that the trend would continue.
The revered site attracted mostly US and European visitors on package tours to
the country, Dia Madani, director of the Baptism Site Commission, told The
Jordan Times yesterday.
“We continued to see high tourist traffic, mostly from foreign visitors touring
the site and taking part in religious festivities,” Madani said.
“We had 18,000 tourists in April and May alone,” he added.
According to Madani, the figures indicate that the number of visitors will be
higher by the end of this year than the total arrivals last year.
Official figures showed that around 100,000 tourists visited the site last year.
Madani said he also expected to see Arab visitors in July and August.
The site of Jesus’ baptism continues to be one of the holiest sites in the
world, drawing archaeologists, pilgrims and visitors.
Bethany Beyond the Jordan, better known as the baptismal site, is believed to be
the place where John the Baptist once lived and preached and where Jesus was
baptised.
The ancient settlement is also thought to have a significant link to the Old
Testament Prophet Elijah, who delivered the message of repentance, taken up by
John the Baptist centuries later.
Thousands of Christian faithful gather at the site in Tel Kharrar each year to
celebrate the feast of Epiphany and the Annual Day of Pilgrimage.
The commission undertook a series of developments to the site’s infrastructure
in 2002 including building new facilities to handle the increasing number of
visitors.
The site now features shops selling handicraft and paved pedestrian paths
leading the way around the Baptism Site’s many archaeological offerings.
Other facilities include a visitors’ centre, two restaurants, a small museum and
a VIP lounge.
Madani said the commission is working on the establishment of a promotion unit
to market the site.
He said the unit, expected to be launched soon, will be working closely with the
Jordan Tourism Board with promotion efforts geared to travel agencies, churches
and local communities, on both the international and local levels.