New tourism investments in Jordan amount to JOD16 billion, says minister

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Lina Annab Tuesday said Jordan s largest tourism investments are located in Amman, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, pointing out that the value of current investments in Aqaba and the Dead Sea amount to about JOD16 billion.

Jordan not just Petra, Dead Sea, tourism sector leaders agree

 
AMMAN — “Unfamiliar” tourist sites around the Kingdom can be promoted as providing visual experiences and opportunities for interaction with local residents through new marketing campaigns, representatives from the tourism sector said on Tuesday.
In an article posted recently on Middle East social news website www.stepfeed.com, 14 tourist attractions around Jordan “that aren’t Petra, Amman, and the Dead Sea” were promoted.

Aqaba programme to train first group of professional women divers

AMMAN — Six women from Aqaba will undergo professional diving training this year to become the port city’s first batch of certified female divers, according to the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS).

JREDS is now drawing up the criteria for which women will be accepted into the training programme, according to its Executive Director Ehab Eid.

Jubeiha Amusement Park shuts down permanently

Jubeiha Amusement Park, one of Amman’s oldest entertainment facilities, has closed down permanently due to the deteriorated state of its rides and structures, a municipal official said on Tuesday.

The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Tuesday announced the closure of the amusement park for safety reasons, indicating that most of the park’s rides and structures had exceeded their lifespan.

Jordan Trail: A trek through history via ancient villages and wild wadis

Then draw a route through more than 10,000 years of history, covering Neolithic ruins, Biblical sites, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, and russet landscapes that wouldn't look out of place on Mars.
That's the Jordan Trail, and only a slice of it.
The 650-kilometer trail takes about 40 days to complete, starting at the northern tip of Jordan in the city of Umm Qais and ending in Aqaba in the south, where hikers meet the country's only coastline.
Jordan is more than just desert, and the cross-section of the nation that the Jordan Trail cuts through is a tour de force in diversity.

Things you can do in Jordan, can t do anywhere else - hiker

DEAD SEA — “There are things you can do in Jordan that you cannot do anywhere else in the world,” Andrew Evans said to sum up his experience in Jordan after hiking across the country for over 40 days.

Adventure travel conference opens at Dead Sea

Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Hani Mulki Tuesday opened the adventure travel conference, which is organised by the Jordan Tourism Board and the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).

Amman designated capital of Islamic culture 2017

AMMAN — Amman on Wednesday was officially announced as the capital of Islamic culture for 2017.

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) selected Jordan s capital for this year s title as part of a programme that seeks to establish pan-Islamic cultural action, said ISESCO President Abdul Aziz Twaijri.

Khirbat Iskandar reveals ‘crucial time span in history of Jordan’

AMMAN — A “fascination” with the practice of archaeology was one of the driving motives for Marta D’Andrea, an Italian archaeologist from Sapienza University of Rome, to come to Jordan and take part in numerous archaeological projects.

Jordan Egypt Photo

Jordanian and Egyptian tourism interconnected, need joint tourism strategy

 AMMAN — By developing joint tourism promotional offers, Jordan and Egypt can exploit untapped opportunities to boost bilateral and inbound tourism to both countries, officials from both sides agreed.

Speaking at a session organised by the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA) on Sunday, officials said the “strong” and “strategic” relations binding the two countries were the foundations for cooperation in various fields, including tourism.

The myth, history, and mystery of petra

A journey through the passageways and open spaces of Petra of Jordan, with a close look at the myth and history of the Nabataean civilization and the rise and fall of the ancient city: Petra

Wadi Rum stargazing and astrophotography

Astrophotography is simply taking a photograph of an object in space, whether it s with a point-and-shoot camera, the Hubble Space Telescope or any other type of camera. And the subject matter can include anything from the moon to the Milky Way. One of the best places to do this in Jordan is at Wadi Rum, so you would enjoy the calmness, Quietness and the clear sky at night because there is no light pollution at Rum area ( the reserve ). Below are some shots that I ve taken using my DSLR camera which is Nikon D5300, the best photos were taken using shutter time of 30 seconds, ISO of 3200 and the Minimum Aperture I have which is 3.5 (18mm Nikor Lense). 

World-famous singer Andrea Bocelli to perform in Jordan

The tourism scene in Jordan has recently shown signs of recovery with growing numbers of tourists, Tourism Minister Lina Annab said on Wednesday, attributing the increase to several factors including the active role played by the private sector.

Aqaba calls for listing coral reefs on UNESCO world heritage list

Marine conservationists are currently rallying support to list the coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Wildlife returned back to Wadi Rum

Aqaba Authority Special Economic Zone launched in collaboration with the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, in the protected area Of Wadi Rum. A hundred of mountain goats (Nubian Ibex - Capra ibex nubiana) donated by the agency earlier, to preserve this endangered animal due to poaching and hunting.

Jordan welcomes increasing number of British visitors

Jordan saw further growth in UK visitor numbers in the first quarter of 2017, January – March, increasing by 15.8 per cent, compared to the same period in 2016.

The swell in travellers follows the announcement that UK tourists to the Hashemite Kingdom also grew by seven per cent in 2016.

Heritage stakeholders join forces to preserve archaeological artifacts

With the aim of preserving archaeological artifacts at the Jordan Archaeological Museum located at the Amman Citadel, the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology (GPIA), the Department of Antiquities (DoA) and the Gerda Henkel Foundation (GHF) joined forces in the project “Protection of Cultural Heritage in Jordan”, according to stakeholders.

Beautiful Nature Trail Through Dana Reserve of Jordan

The Dana Reserve is possibly the best known of Jordan s nature reserves. This showplace, set up in 1993, has become an exemplar of how to set up a sustainable, eco­friendly reserve. With its network of guided and unguided hiking trails, its campground, guesthouse and eco-Iodge with their staffs of residents, its dramatic wadis and mountains dropping about 1600 meters from the highest point, there are 320 square kilometers full of things to do and marvel at. Most surprising is not the Nabatean tomb, but the sea urchin fossils, now so far from the sea! Dana s unusual mushroom-shaped rock formations captivate the eye.

Jordan an unexpectedly diverse and enriching country to travel to’ — hiker

DEAD SEA — “There are things you can do in Jordan that you cannot do anywhere else in the world,” Andrew Evans said to sum up his experience in Jordan after hiking across the country for over 40 days.

Evans, who is a contributing editor at National Geographic Traveller, has recently completed his hike of the entire 650 kilometres of the Jordan Trail, stretching from Um Qais in the north of Jordan to Aqaba in the south.

Relatively hot weather forecast

Temperatures are expected to slightly drop on Monday, but they remain 4-6 degrees above their annual average.Therefore, it will continue to be relatively hot in the hilly areas and hot in other parts of the Kingdom.

According to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD), winds will be northwesterly moderate to brisk, blowing dust at times.

Wadi Rum among 50 greatest adventures listed by British daily

The Telegraph daily has ranked visiting Wadi Rum in fourth place on a list of "50 greatest adventures to try in your lifetime".
The valley, located 60km to the east of Aqaba, came after the first-placed Lost World and Angel Falls in Venezuela, the Classic Trail in New Zealand and the Red Centre in Australia. 
The British publication quotes British officer T.E Lawrence in its description of Wadi Rum, some 328 south of Amman, who wrote in his book, "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom", about passing through the area several times during the Great Arab Revolt.