In a proactive step to advance regional tourism integration, the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA) and the Jordan Hotel Association (JHA) convened a joint meeting with Syrian tourism representatives at JHA headquarters in Amman. The discussions focused on expanding bilateral cooperation, developing combined regional tour itineraries, and removing travel barriers to boost tourist flows between Jordan and Syria.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Nabih Riyal, Chairman of JITOA; Mr. Hussein Hilalat, Chairman of JHA; Mr. Samer Al-Masri, Chairman of the Lattakia Chamber of Tourism and Board Member of the Syrian Federation of Chambers of Tourism; and Mr. Mohammad Al-Qasim, Board Member of JHA.

The discussions centered on transitioning bilateral dialogue into concrete operational steps, focusing on key priority areas:

▪️ Joint Tour Packaging: Creating multi-destination travel programs that market Jordan and Syria as a unified regional itinerary to attract international long-haul travelers.

▪️ Border & Visa Facilitation: Streamlining border protocols and expediting entry visa issuance for Syrian nationals—especially individual travelers—to enable smoother movement between both countries.

▪️ Human Capital & Capacity Building: Leveraging Jordanian hospitality expertise to train Syrian tourism personnel, assist in service quality enhancement, and support infrastructure modernization.

▪️ Destination Events & Weddings: Establishing practical mechanisms to facilitate Syrian weddings, corporate events, and celebrations at Jordanian hotels through expedited entry permissions and logistical support.

▪️ Fam Trips & B2B Engagement: Organizing reciprocal Familiarization (Fam) Trips for tour operators and travel agencies from both nations to showcase tourism assets and establish direct commercial partnerships.

Participants mutually emphasized that building a robust, integrated tourism framework serves the strategic interests of both economies. By enhancing cross-border synergy, sharing operational expertise, and co-marketing destination assets, Jordan and Syria can elevate their combined visibility across regional and global travel markets.