Jerash: "Jannah.jo" (Our Jordan is a Paradise) revitalizes markets and tourism facilities and promotes community development

They noted that maximizing the benefits of the "Jannah.jo" program requires continued development of tourism paths, improving services and infrastructure, enhancing the marketing of archaeological and natural sites, and engaging small projects, artisans, and community initiatives more broadly, pointing out that the program serves as an opportunity to cement Jerash’s position as an integrated tourism destination that combines archaeological, natural, and cultural tourism, and to translate tourist traffic into sustainable economic and social returns that benefit the governorate’s people, institutions, and local facilities.

Former Minister Dr. Atef Odeibat said that tourism represents an important lever for economic and social development due to its role in activating productive and service sectors and providing job opportunities, indicating that domestic tourism programs contribute to enhancing citizens' knowledge of Jordanian tourist sites and support efforts to stimulate the local economy in the governorates.

The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and Director of the "Jannah.jo" program, Dr. Ahmed Al-Rifai, emphasized the program's importance in revitalizing domestic tourism and introducing citizens to tourist, archaeological, and natural sites across the Kingdom's various regions, pointing to its role in supporting tourism facilities and moving the wheel of the local economy through organized trips and tourism activities.

Jerash Tourism Director Thaer Al-Ayasrah indicated that the "Jannah.jo" program contributes to enhancing tourism movement to archaeological sites in the governorate and highlighting their historical and civilizational importance, noting that the program creates an opportunity to increase visitor numbers and explore the cultural heritage for which Jerash is distinguished, led by the ancient city, which is considered one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Kingdom.

Jerash Antiquities Director Mohammad Al-Shalabi said that the ancient city in Jerash represents an important civilizational and historical value due to the archaeological landmarks it contains that reflect the succession of civilizations on Jordanian soil, noting the importance of tourism programs in raising awareness of the value of archaeological sites and encouraging citizens to visit them and learn about their history.

He added that the increased influx to archaeological sites contributes to highlighting Jerash's position on the national tourism map and supports efforts to preserve the cultural heritage and introduce it to future generations.

In turn, the manager of Artemis Restaurant, Mohammad Al-Qiyam, said that the "Jannah.jo" program has contributed to stimulating tourism activity and increasing demand for restaurants and tourism facilities, especially during group trips that attract visitors to the governorate.

He added that revitalizing domestic tourism reflects positively on buying and selling activity and provides opportunities to improve the level of services and develop products offered to visitors, emphasizing the importance of continuing the program and expanding the scope of its benefits to local facilities.

The manager of Luluat Al-Rawda Restaurant, Badr Al-Rawashdeh, pointed out that organized tourist trips contribute to increasing commercial activity and revitalizing the restaurant sector by attracting visitors and introducing them to the food and services offered by local establishments.

He explained that the continuation of these programs helps tourism facilities face economic challenges and provides opportunities for business sustainability and the preservation of job opportunities, as well as encouraging investment in developing tourism services.

For his part, one of the shop owners in the craft market, Mohammad Shafiq, said that the "Jannah.jo" program is an important opportunity to introduce the crafts and heritage products for which Jerash is famous and helps shop owners reach new segments of customers.

He added that the visits of tourist groups to the craft market contribute to stimulating buying and selling activity and supports local artisans and producers, emphasizing the importance of including craft markets within organized tourist paths to enhance the local community's benefit from tourism activity.

For his part, the manager of Aram Restaurant, Dr. Osama Khreisat, pointed out that domestic tourism constitutes an important tributary to support tourism facilities and restaurants by increasing visitor numbers and stimulating economic activity, noting the importance of diversifying tourism experiences and linking visits to archaeological sites with local food and heritage products.