Jordan Times
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Delegation develops tourism ties in US
AMMAN (JT) — A delegation, led by Minister of
Tourism and Antiquities Munir Nassar, concluded the first segment of a 10-day
tourism development mission to the US that started last Wednesday.
The delegation, comprising 13 representatives from the private sector and the
ministry and funded by the USAID Siyaha Project, had an extensive schedule in
Washington, DC including a review of programmes of the National Foundation for
Historic Preservation for the regeneration of historic city cores.
The meetings also included the Washington, DC Conventions and Tourism
Corporation, the National Restaurant Association, the American Guild of
Professional Tour Guides, the World Travel and Tourism Council, American Society
of Association Executives and George Washington University.
Additionally, the group visited Colonial Williamsburg, which serves as a living
museum, according to a Siyaha statement.
The management of Colonial Williamsburg (which attracts over two million
visitors annually) shared with the delegation its business model, strategies for
creating and promoting a successful heritage destination, and promised further
cooperation.
“The personal interaction with such experts and sharing of their experiences
provided us with new ideas to enhance Jordan’s tourism industry,” said Chairman
of the Jordan Restaurant Association Zaid Goussous.
“I believe there will be great partnerships developed between us and our
American counterparts,” he added.
Following a meeting with National Geographic, which presented its paradigm for
model destinations that maximises benefit to local communities on a sustainable
basis, Nassar said the mission had been “very successful so far.”
National Geographic expressed its interest in working with Jordan to build on
and replicate the Madaba tourism development strategy recently launched by the
Tourism Ministry and Siyaha, according to the statement.
Nassar concluded the Washington, DC portion of the visit by meeting with senior
World Bank executives and securing support for the ministry’s development of
historic cores of five cities under the Third Tourism Project due to commence
this October.
“We agreed with World Bank officials on a memorandum of understanding to ensure
maximum coordination between Siyaha and the World Bank in the area of tourism
development in Jordan,” said Siyaha Chief of Party Ibrahim Osta, who also met
with the officials.
The US mission coincides with the US-Arab Economic Forum (June 26-28), in which
the delegation is participating.
The minister was scheduled to participate in the lead plenary on Wednesday and
deliver the keynote address in a special session on the role of tourism economic
development inter-cultural understanding, the statement said.
Over 1,200 American and Arab business and political leaders are participating in
the forum.
The delegates also participated in a press conference during the launch of the
Jordan Professional Destination Specialist Programme held jointly by the
American Society of Travel Agents and the Jordan Tourism Board-North America.
The three-year Siyaha Project supports the implementation of the National
Tourism Strategy, which aims to double Jordan’s tourism economy by 2010.