Domestic tourism rebounds on heels of ‘Urdun Jannah’, RSCN campaigns

AMMAN — The Tourism Ministry’s efforts and a campaign titled “Travel inside your country” by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature’s (RSCN) offer Jordanians and foreigners a chance to explore the Kingdom’s attractions.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities together with the Jordan Tourism Board launched a campaign titled “Urdun Jannah”, aiming at promoting a “unique” experience that suits each and every visitor, according to the campaign’s website.

Tourism Ministry’s efforts, as well as, the RSCN’s “Travel inside your country” programme have been supporting domestic tourism and have been promoting the Kingdom’s “colourful heritage”, Ajloun Forest Reserve Manager Othman Tawalbeh told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

In light of the pandemic’s adverse effects on Jordan’s tourism industry, the promotion of popular destinations in the country is vital. It will also help plug the gap in tourism revenues due to the drop in the number of international tourists, Tawalbeh further said.

“The occupancy rate in Ajloun Reserve reached 100 per cent during the Eid Al Adha holiday. What attracts tourists to Ajloun Reserve is its open woodlands,” Tawalbeh noted.

The reserve is situated in the Ajloun highlands north of Amman, covering an area of 13 square kilometres, Tawalbeh said.

Meanwhile, Shomari Wildlife Reserve in Azraq witnessed a 30 per cent occupancy rate on the first day of the Eid Al Adha holiday, but it was fully booked during the third and fourth day of the holiday, reserve manager Ashraf Halah told The Jordan Times.

“Urdun Jannah programme has made it more easy for Jordanians and people living in Jordan to get to know the Kingdom’s tourist attractions,” Halah added.

The RSCN’s promotion campaign aims at encouraging inbound tourism and sustaining the preservation of nature through ecological tourism at nature reserves, the society’s director general, Yahya Khaled, said.

The campaign also aims at increasing the contribution of youth and women to the Kingdom’s economic growth through tourism programmes, Khaled added.

One feature of the campaign is focused on raising awareness among Jordanians about the natural features of their country, the traditions of local communities and the key reserves of the Kingdom, in addition to its landscapes and terrains, he said.

Director of Eco-Tourism at the RSCN Ashraf Barqawi said that the RSCN seeks to promote local tourism and familiarise the public with Jordan’s “unique” destinations.