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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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). 

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.

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.

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.

AMMAN — Prompted by a lack of information on the Gulf of Aqaba’s harmful creatures, two local conservationists have released the first guide on poisonous marine species inhabiting Aqaba waters.

With over 500 fish species represented in the Gulf of Aqaba, the sea is considered “friendly” due to the presence of very few hazardous marine animals, but its usually-calm water has left many divers and beach goers with serious injuries because they had unknowingly gotten into direct contact with toxic and harmful creatures.

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

Coral reefs in the Gulf of Aqaba, located some 330km south of Amman, cover almost half of Aqaba’s coastline, offering 21 diving locations for the exploration of diverse, colourful and unique coral reefs, Executive Director of the Royal Marine Conservation Society, Ehab Eid, said on Monday.

Jordan Tours: AMMAN — Jordan has topped a list of 35 of the “World’s Best Places to Travel in 2017” compiled by travel website Matador Network.

The website, the “world’s largest independent travel publisher”, described Jordan as a “completely safe oasis isolated from the instability of the region”.

AMMAN — The Jordan Times’ reporter Rula Samain on Monday will launch a book that presents and evaluates Jordan’s interfaith initiatives and highlights the Muslim-Christian coexistence which “distinguishes Jordan from other countries in the Middle East”.

Titled “Fortress of Peace: Jordan’s Interfaith Drive and Model of Coexistence”, the book, written in English, comes as the result of years of research on the subject. 

Samain has been reporting for The Jordan Times since 2005, mainly specialised in inter-religious dialogue, a beat she embarked on in 2007.