Ammon News - AMMAN (Petra) –– Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Nidal Qatamin said on Saturday that tourism is a key industry and has become an economic sector of the Kingdom that has an impact on the gross domestic product.

Speaking at a workshop on the role of the media in marketing tourism in Jordan that the Kingdom has a competitive tourism industry, notably diverse tourism products and is home to 100,000 archaeological and heritage sites, one of the largest number in the world, including 11,000 documented under the national data base, on top of which is the red rose city of Petra.

The minister also told Petra News Agency that religious tourism is of vital importance due to the many religious sites in the country, including monuments and tombs of the companions (of the Prophet Mohammad) and the baptism site (of Jesus Christ). He added that Jordan is home to the world's largest mosaic map in the city of Madaba, and the Dead Sea located at the lowest spot in the world.

He said the Kingdom's revenue from tourism amounted to JD2.5 billion, according to international reports, a positive sign for the entire tourism sector in a region mired in conflict and turmoil. He called for new methods to attract more tour groups and access to new markets, stressing the need to come up with a proper marketing strategy.

Qatamin said the tourism sector is a key employer contributing up to 13 per cent of the GDP, urging the media to help market the Kingdom for its "unique and diverse" qualities, including security, safety and stability.