Hosting championships boosts Jordan's presence on the sports tourism map

The beginning of the year saw the hosting of the "Jordan Baja" in Aqaba from February 12-14, with the participation of competitors in the car and motorcycle categories as part of international and continental Baja rounds. Concurrently, the Jordan Olympic Committee organized the Baja Sports Festival, with the participation of about 200 male and female athletes in taekwondo, karate, boxing, and e-sports.

In the same month, Amman hosted the International Jiu-Jitsu Professional Tour, which took place on February 13 as part of the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro tour agenda, adding to the Kingdom's international sports hosting calendar.

In May, Jordan hosted the Jordan Rally, the third round of the Middle East Rally Championship, with competitions held in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas, featuring competitors from various countries. His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein attended part of the rally competitions and crowned the winners at its conclusion, emphasizing the importance of the event and Jordan's status in hosting motorsports competitions at the regional and international levels.

In July, the Kingdom hosted the Asian Junior and Cadet Judo Championships, with the participation of about 350 male and female athletes representing 22 countries. The event was opened by His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein, President of the Jordan Olympic Committee, while the President of the Judo Union of Asia praised the organizational and technical efforts made by Jordan and the facilities provided by the Olympic Committee and the Jordan Judo Federation.

In August, Amman hosted the 10th edition of the El Hassan International Open Taekwondo Championship, which took place from August 7-9. It is listed on the World Taekwondo Federation's agenda, reflecting Jordan's continued presence on the international competition calendar for the sport.

By September, Petra appeared on the sports scene by hosting the 17th edition of the Petra Desert Marathon on September 5, with the participation of about 270 runners from various countries. The marathon included 42km and 25km routes, in an event that combined sports challenge with desert nature and the region's tourism assets.

Among the most recent sports events in the Kingdom is the 24th Asian Karate Championship for Youth, Juniors, and Under-21s, which kicked off yesterday, Tuesday, in Amman with the participation of 338 male and female athletes representing 30 countries, adding to the series of continental and international events witnessed by the Kingdom during the current year.

Chairman of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), Adnan Al-Swaier, said that hosting sports events in Petra represents an important opportunity to enhance the city's presence on the sports tourism map and to benefit from its location and natural and historical assets in attracting participants and sports delegations from various countries.

He added that linking sports events with tourism programs contributes to introducing participants to tourist sites in Petra and encourages them to extend their stay and benefit from local tourism services, emphasizing the importance of continued coordination between sports and tourism authorities to develop events that combine sports and tourism and reflect on tourism and economic activity in the region.

In turn, tourism economy expert Dr. Zaid Saaidat said that sports tourism is one of the tourism patterns that Jordan can build upon to diversify the tourism product and attract new segments of visitors, especially with the availability of diverse tourist sites and infrastructure capable of hosting sports events at various levels.

He pointed out that the benefits of hosting international and regional championships are not limited to the days of competition, but can extend to the hotel, transport, restaurant, and tourism services sectors, calling for the development of tourism packages and programs dedicated to athletes, delegations, and participants to maximize the economic return from sports hosting and promote Jordan as a destination for sports tourism.

The succession and diversity of these events confirm the widening scope of sports hosting in Jordan, especially in games that attract participants and delegations from outside the Kingdom, which provides a base to build upon to enhance the concept of sports tourism and benefit from the presence of athletes, technical and administrative staff, referees, and delegations to introduce Jordanian tourist sites.

Motorsports stand out particularly in this aspect, given the holding of the "Jordan Baja" in Aqaba and the Jordan Rally in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas, while the Petra Marathon provides a direct model for the link between a sports event and one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Kingdom.

Continental and international championships held in Amman also provide an opportunity to enhance communication between Jordanian federations and their continental and international counterparts, exchange expertise in the fields of organization, arbitration, and sports management, in addition to demonstrating the readiness of Jordanian sports facilities to host competitions at continental and international levels.

Benefiting from these events in terms of tourism and economy requires further coordination between the sports sector and tourism authorities, allowing for the inclusion of visits to tourist sites within the programs of delegations and participants, and encouraging the extension of their stay to benefit the accommodation, transport, restaurant, and service sectors.