Ammon News -

The national program "Our Jordan is Paradise" added Madaba to its tourist destinations as part of government efforts to revitalize local tourism following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has delivered a major blow to the sector.

According to a statement Thursday by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the government-backed program, launched in May 2020, was allocated JOD6 million for this year with the aim of stimulating and revitalizing domestic tourism, and encouraging citizens to visit dozens of tourist destinations.

As part of the Kingdom's centenary celebrations, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Nayef Fayez inaugurated the new destination at the Madaba visitors center. "The program provides diverse and different tourist styles, and a unique tourism experience at affordable prices that match the Jordanian family budget," he said.

The program, he noted, aims to mitigate the losses incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector and help it recover by allowing tourism offices to organize and implement trips and provide transport, tourist guides, domestic flights, and tourist facilities, including restaurants and camps, and service providers such as automobiles in Petra and four-wheel drive vehicles in Wadi Rum.

He said that more than 50 percent of the cost of the trips are covered by the government, and children under the age of 4 are allowed on the trips free-of-charge, pointing out that a total of 337 people from all governorates across the Kingdom signed up for the earlier trips of the program, which also provides free transportation on well-equipped and modern tourist buses, in addition to a tourist guide and meals.

The minister stated that the program provides one-day trips to several tourist destinations in the northern and central regions and part of the southern regions, and overnight trips in the regions most affected by the pandemic, such as Petra and Wadi Rum.

On COVID-19-related measures, the minister said participants will only undergo temperature screening before boarding the buses, calling for adherence to defense orders that obligate social distancing and wearing face masks, as well as the Tourism Ministry's preventive measures for public health and safety.

Also, the majority of tourism service providers and workers in the sector have received the COVID-19 jab, the Fayez indicated, assuring that the number of daily cases dropped.

The Our Jordan is Paradise program offers its app users (Jannah.jo) the ability to view the available tourist destinations and prices, however, visitors must visit the tourist offices to make bookings and payments.