Salt revels in new status as Jordan’s first ‘Distinctive Destination’

AMMAN — The people of Salt on Wednesday celebrated the city’s designation as Jordan’s first “Distinctive Destination”, and over the coming three years, the city will implement a comprehensive tourism development programme to offer visitors experiences that reflect its unique heritage and attractions.

The goal of the Distinctive Destinations Programme is to boost local economies by attracting more tourists and longer stays through developing unique local visitor experience at cities throughout Jordan, according to a USAID statement released on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is implementing the programme, supported by the USAID.

“Jordan’s cities have great potential to become key locations on Jordan’s tourism map, as each one of them has a unique identity and tourism resources that can attract a diverse group of tourists,” the statement quoted Tourism Minister Lina Annab as saying at the event to celebrate Salt.

“All five cities that competed for the distinctive destination designation worked hard to assess their tourism offerings and plan for development, and this is an important step towards collective national responsibility for tourism development in coordination with local communities,” the minister said.

US Ambassador Alice G. Wells said the programme gives communities the opportunity to get involved in transforming their areas into truly unique world-class destinations, all while benefiting the local economy.

“We predict that this programme alone will create up to 300 jobs and benefit upwards of 50 businesses in Salt,” the ambassador added.

Salt Mayor Khaled Khushman expressed pride and appreciation that the cooperative efforts of the municipality, Balqa tourism directorate and the local tourism committee and community were fruitful.

“The real work starts now, and I’m looking forward to witnessing the results over the years to come.”

Salt, 35km northwest of Amman, will receive the Tourism Ministry’s support, including financial and technical assistance, to implement its plans.

According to the statement, USAID’s Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism project will offer technical and grant support to small- and medium-sized enterprises that seek to deliver new and upgraded visitor experiences.

In addition, the statement added, an exclusive brand will be developed based on the town’s unique characteristics as a key tool for attracting visitors.

The additional four towns nominated to compete under the Distinctive Destinations Programme last year were Jerash, Karak, Ajloun and Madaba. 

All five cities “worked diligently” to identify their tourism strengths and propose areas for development, according to USAID. 

These five were selected based on preset eligibility criteria to determine readiness for tourism development, the statement added.

The municipalities worked with local tourism development committees to prepare their applications, and a national programme committee of government and private tourism representatives evaluated the applications and selected a winner.