Ammon News - The Senate's Jordanian-Russian Friendship Committee, chaired by Senator Sharhabeel Madi, met on Tuesday with the Director General of the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB), Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat, and several travel agents and tour operators in the Russian market.

Talking at the meeting, Madi said the discussions aimed to tackle ways to enhance Jordanian-Russian tourism cooperation, particularly following the two countries' decision to mutually exempt their citizens of entry visas.

Madi noted this step is expected to increase the number of Russian tourists visiting the Kingdom, which would reflect "positively" on the two vountries' tourist sector and economy.

Madi added that tourist cooperation serves as "a bridge to deepen understanding and cultural exchange" between the two peoples, calling for strengthening direct air links between Amman and several Russian cities to facilitate travel.

Madi reaffirmed the committee’s commitment to continued coordination with official institutions and the private sector to support initiatives that expand joint tourist and economic cooperation.

For his part, Arabiyat reviewed the JTB's promotional campaigns and specialized programs to attract more visitors to Jordan and showcase its diverse tourist products, including cultural, religious, therapeutic, and adventure destinations, especially after the two countries facilitated travel procedures.

Tourism agents highlighted key opportunities in the Russian market and discussed developing joint tourist programs to open new horizons for Jordanian-Russian sustainable cooperation.

On future steps, they underscored the need to establish effective cooperation mechanisms to overcome challenges and enhance media promotion of Jordan in the Russian market.

Meanwhile, committee members stressed the importance of improving tourist services and infrastructure to receive visitors, particularly from Russia, adding that visa exemption represents a "significant" step to boost tourist exchange and strengthen bilateral cooperation to serve common interests.

Petra