Jordan Trail Association to receive world tourism award

AMMAN — The 2018 World Tourism Awards will be presented to the Jordan Trail Association, alongside two other winners on November 5, as part of the opening day of World Travel Market London, according to a statement by World Tourism Awards. 

The 2018 honorees are being recognised for "outstanding initiatives" related to the travel and tourism industry and for "fostering sustainable tourism and developing programmes that give back to local communities".

The Jordan Trail Association, a Jordanian non-profit NGO founded in 2015, will be rewarded in recognition of its commitment to developing, maintaining and promoting the Jordan Trail as a platform for socioeconomic development for the 52 villages along the trail, with an impact of $6 million to-date, the statement said.

Chairman of the Jordan Trail Association, Ramzi Tabbalat said: "This important achievement is a global recognition of the Jordan Trail Association, and places it as a global example in developing tourist destinations into platforms for development, entrepreneurship and support for local communities." 

"Jordan Trail Association is one of the most efficient national institutions in the implementation of tourism development programmes in Jordan and that its progress and development programmes will continue further," he added.

The CEO of the Jordan Trail Association Bashir Daoud commented: “The association's achievement being awarded with one of the most prestigious tourism awards in the world is only the culmination of the efforts of the association’s board and executive team in developing and promoting the trail as an exceptional tourist destination, which is already at the top of the pyramid of adventure tourism in the world, which made the trail a top destination for all adventure tourists in the world," adding that "the next challenge is to maintain this progress and excellence despite all the challenges”.

The Jordan Trail Association was awarded the King Abdullah II Decoration of Excellence of the Second Degree, which was granted by His Majesty King Abdullah II last May, in acknowledgement of the association’s efforts in placing Jordan on the map of international tourism and for supporting local communities along the Jordan Trail, in addition to naming the Jordan Trail as one of the top destinations of the world by National Geographic Traveller Magazine for 2018, the statement concluded.