Smooth cruising for Visit Jordan

Visit Jordan Canada and Journey the Globe welcomed members of the travel community aboard the Mariposa Showboat for a scenic cruise around Toronto’s Harbourfront yesterday evening, providing updates and explaining why the time has never been better for agents to start booking Jordan.

Avril Matthews, Canada representative, Visit Jordan, told PAX that around 50 key agents were set to participate in the special dining experience aboard the ship, with Journey the Globe President Jackie Bishop Martin also on hand to provide insight into some of the itineraries offered by the company in Jordan.

“We’ve had such interest [in Jordan] lately,” Matthews commented, highlighting the diversity of experiences offered in the country. “Jordan has so many great sectors – it’s got archaeological, it’s got all the holy sites, it’s got health and wellness, [and] it’s got adventure, so we’re going to touch on all those tonight.”

Growing interest

Journey the Globe provides customized tours for individuals as well as groups, and Bishop Martin said that the rising interest in Jordan as a travel destination was a testament to the sterling work done in promoting the country in recent years. “I’ve been in the industry over 20 years,” she said, “and originally, Jordan was just an extension for a couple of nights.

“We’ve spent years now promoting, saying, ‘hey, we’re a standalone destination – you can go to Jordan for more than two days.’”

The Mariposa Showboat.

Among the country’s foremost attractions for tourists is Petra, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and with striking features including Neolithic ruins, desert castles and its iconic Treasury. Equally significant is the modern and ancient capital of Amman, whose Citadel holds the ruins of the Temple of Hercules.

Both are included in Journey the Globe's six-day Jordan itinerary, which starts in Amman before progressing to Jarash, Madaba, Mt. Nebo, Karak, Petra, and Wadi Rum, and concluding with a flight from Amman Airport.

A safe destination

Both Bishop Martin and Matthews also emphasized Jordan’s status as a safe destination for Canadian travellers, particularly in light of recent turmoil in neighbouring countries such as Egypt and Turkey.

“Jordan’s open for business,” Bishop Martin remarked. “It’s not impacted by any terror issues… it’s a country that works closely with the Western countries, in terms of trying to ensure they’ve put measures in place for safety of your clients.

“They take it seriously; that’s important, because when you travel, you want to feel secure.”

Matthews also said that travellers to Jordan would not be encumbered by high numbers of tourists, as may be the case in other destinations. “The Jordanian people are not overrun with tourists,” she commented.

“They’re honoured when they see North Americans or Europeans travelling in their country. They thank you for being there; that’s a very different feel than you get in other countries, perhaps, where they’re just overrun with the tourism business.”

Further information about Visit Jordan can be viewed here.

More on Journey the Globe's Jordan itinerary is available here.