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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The 2020 edition of the Jordan Trail’s Thru-Hike, a 675km (420-mile) route stretching the entire length of the Kingdom, was officially launched on Wednesday in a ceremony patronized by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Majd Shwiekeh on behalf of HRH Crown Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II.

On Friday, hikers from Jordan and beyond will kick off a 45-day (from March 6 to April 18) trip starting from Umm Qais in the northernmost part of the Kingdom before landing in Aqaba on the Red Sea.

Annually organized by the Jordan Trail Association (JTA), the flagship event seeks to further promote Jordan's tourist and natural attractions and serve local communities in more than 52 villages spanning across the trail's route.

President of JTA, Aysir Batayneh said: "During the past four years, the association has felt a direct economic impact on the local communities that the trail passes through. Also, the trail has helped place Jordan on top of the global adventure tourism map."

"We still need to work extensively with the locals to establish or expand their tourism projects. Needless to say, the trail is an important resource for us and we must preserve it," he added.

Dutch Ambassador to the Kingdom Barbara Joziasse, who attended the launch ceremony, said: "Petra is a very popular destination and known to the Dutch tourists," stressing the Netherlands' support for tourism projects and initiatives that contribute to revitalizing the local economy, including the Jordan Trail.

EU Ambassador to Jordan Maria Hadjitheodosiou emphasized that supporting sustainable tourism in Jordan should translate into "responsible growth", taking into account all the needs of the local community, and providing the necessary protection for the environment.

Acting Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Ralph Koehring, said the USAID's support for the Jordan Trail Association is based on the fact that the trail is a means of economic development through the tourism sector for local communities, in addition to being an important tourism product for Jordan.

"The United States Agency for International Development is proud to assist the Jordan Trail Association in realizing its vision by making Jordan a destination for adventure tourism through the Jordan Trail and creating a financial return for 500 local community members as service providers on the trail."