jordan pulse -

The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Makram Al-Qaisi, met in Amman today, Monday, with a Kenyan delegation comprising leading Kenyan tourism and travel companies, at the conclusion of their nearly week-long visit to the Kingdom.

This meeting is a continuation of efforts to open new markets to bolster the Jordanian tourism sector with tourists from Eastern markets, especially after the decline in tourist numbers from the West due to the brutal aggression on Gaza. It also follows up on Minister Al-Qaisi’s visit to East African countries last February, which included Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.

Al-Qaisi expressed his gratitude for their efforts in promoting Jordanian tourism in Kenya and for holding many intensive workshops with their Jordanian tourism sector counterparts to contract and effective partnerships that activate tourism between the two countries.

In response to questions from the accompanying Kenyan journalists, Al-Qaisi said he sees a great future for tourism between the two countries, especially since they understand each other culturally and civilly.

When asked about the security situation in Jordan, he said he trusts the testimony of the press and delegations that came to Jordan and saw for themselves what Jordan is and that he will be satisfied with this testimony.

The Kenyan delegation, consisting of tourism and travel companies, representatives of the health sector, and the Kenyan press, began their visit to the Kingdom on June 4th. They visited Jerash, Madaba, and Christian religious pilgrimage sites starting from the baptism site of Jesus Christ, Mount Nebo, and Tell Mar Elias.

They held prayers at Our Lady of the Mountain Church in Ajloun, visited the Dead Sea, Aqaba, Petra, and Wadi Rum, and the visits included inspection tours of the services provided to tourists and hotels.

The delegation representing the health sector conducted field visits to several hospitals and health facilities in the capital, Amman, and met with representatives of the Jordanian health sector to discuss benefiting from Jordan’s advanced expertise in the medical field, and what Jordan possesses in terms of facilities, expertise, doctors, and modern technologies, in addition to the realistic costs compared to countries that attract Kenyan patients.

For their part, the Kenyan delegation expressed their gratitude to Minister Al-Qaisi for the warm reception, praising the staff of the Jordan Tourism Board, who accompanied the delegation and contributed to the success of this visit.

They expressed their admiration for what Jordan offers to tourists, with a great diversity in the tourism product, especially in religious, cultural, and therapeutic tourism. –(Petra)