Jordan, Tunisia discuss tourism cooperation

AMMAN — Jordan and Tunisia share a joint keenness to enhance tourism cooperation to reflect the level of their “distinguished” political relations, Tunisian Minister of Tourism Mohamed Belhassine said.

Speaking to representatives of Jordanian press and travel and tourism agents, in the presence of a number of Tunisian tourism sector leaders, Belhassine said that the two countries seek to overcome all obstacles that could impede development of this “important and vital sector”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra reported on Saturday.

The Tunisian minister added that both countries also aim to benefit from the “distinguished” Jordanian expertise in the tourism sector and utilise their tourism, historical and religious heritage to promote and expand joint tourist activity.

Belhassine expressed hope that Tunisia would record the same tourism growth of 2019 by 2023.

He said that 7,000 Tunisian tourists visited Jordan in 2019. 

The minister expressed hope that they can overcome all challenges in tourism development.

He also referred to extensive fields of tourism cooperation, adding that virtual and in-person meetings were held with his Jordanian counterpart recently to discuss and enhance cooperation areas between the countries in a bid to achieve goals of tourism exchange.

Tunisia and Jordan share several commonalities, primarily reliance on human capital, which provides “prosperous opportunities for the two countries”, referring to Tunisia’s circumstantial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other internal developments that have affected the tourism sector’s recovery. 

Representative of the Royal Jordanian (RJ)  Airline Imad Bakhit said that the national carrier is keen to open routes, according to a strategic vision, noting that the RJ adopts a vision to become a preferred airline to connect Jordan and Arab Mashriq (east) countries with the world. 

Meanwhile, Jordanian Ambassador to Tunisia Maher Tarawneh, while receiving the Jordanian delegates at his residence on Friday, highlighted the importance of enhancing various types of tourism between the countries, mainly medical tourism, in light of the “distinguished” bilateral relations between the countries.