Agreement inked to establish ‘Amman Trail’

AMMAN — A tourism trail is slated to run through downtown Amman after the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) on Sunday signed an agreement to establish the project.

The agreement was signed by the JTB, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) and USAID’s “Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism” project, according to a JTB statement.

The initiative, called the "Amman Heritage Walk [Amman Trail]", aims to draw the attention of residents and tourists to downtown Amman, which has a rich heritage, and increase the length of visitors’ stay in Amman, the JTB said.

“Implementing such projects confirms the interest of all parties in making Amman an attractive destination for tourists, by providing trails like this that offers city-loving tourists, visitors and residents the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the capital in a peaceful manner, away from traffic. The JTB will gather all its expertise in marketing, promotion and social media to serve the Amman Trail project and introduce it at tourism exhibitions and activities, both regionally and internationally," JTB Managing Director Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat said.

The trail also aligns with the GAM's plan for Amman to become a pedestrian-friendly city that showcases its heritage alongside modern life by 2025. The initiative combines the efforts of a group of experts that includes architects, landscapers and historians, according to the statement.

Amman Mayor Youssef Shawarbeh stressed the importance of cooperation under this agreement to boost tourism in Amman and “promote it as an authentic and modern city with many archaeological sites — both heritage and new tourism attractions”.

“Implementing the Amman Heritage Walk project in the heart of the city — an important urban space of architectural, archaeological, social and cultural significance that symbolises the identity of the city and is a vital centre of trade — will highlight the centre of the city and promote it as a tourism, social and economic product,” the mayor added.

The main part of the trail will cover an area from the Citadel to the Jordan Museum, passing by several places of interest along the way, the statement said.