Social media campaign promotes Jordan’s ‘undiscovered’ adventure sites

AMMAN — “Doing his bit” to support Jordan’s tourism sector, Abdel Rahman Almuheed has launched a social media campaign that highlights the Kingdom’s “undiscovered” adventure sites.

The interactive campaign, dubbed “Let’s Go to Jordan”, seeks to promote the Kingdom’s attractions, particularly for Gulf Cooperation Council countries, since many Arabs, as well as Jordanian residents and expatriates are not familiar with the lesser known sites that are not usually promoted in media campaigns.

“In the south of Jordan, there are over 260 valleys that people can visit for adventurous and medical purposes, with temperatures of hot springs reaching 60°C,” Almuheed told The Jordan Times in a recent phone interview, citing over 50 diving locations in Aqaba. 

With over 21,000 followers on the campaign’s Facebook page, 10,000 on Twitter and some 4,000 on Instagram, Almuheed shares photos and content on tourism sites in Jordan, a matter he said attracts the attention of many Jordanian expatriates, Arabs and foreigners.

“Jordan’s richness in natural landscapes and archaeological sites allows visitors to enjoy a variety of experiences in all seasons,” according to the Kuwait resident, who has recently volunteered to organise adventure trips for Arab journalists and social media activists, in partnership with local adventure teams and the Jordan Tourism Board.

The campaign has so far organised a trip to the northern region, with over 60 participants who shared photos and stories about the trip through the campaign’s hashtags, a matter that received “wide” popular interest, according to Almuheed.

“Many Jordanians and Arabs send us messages to inquire about the locations, the trips and how they can visit these places,” he said, noting that upcoming trips this season will cover the central and southern regions.

Tourism is Jordan’s best “window to the world” as it develops relations with all nations, Almuheed said. 

Some Arabs have contacted him to buy properties in Jordan as a form of investment, he added.

“We aspire to increase tourism’s contribution to the gross domestic product from 13 per cent to over 20 per cent,” Almuheed said.

It is important that the private sector support tourism initiatives and similar voluntary activities, he added, as tourism revenues benefit everyone.