Jordan to host inaugural adventure tourism conference

Jordan will play host to the Adventure Trade Travel Association (ATTA) regional AdventureNEXT Near East (ANNE) in early 2017.

This inaugural adventure travel conference, supporting eco-tourism and active travel development in the Middle East and North Africa regions, will be held on the shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan, with the support of the Jordan Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Jordan Tourism Board.

“We have been members of ATTA since 2005 and are honored and excited to be the host of AdventureNEXT Near East,” said Malia Asfour, director of the Jordan Tourism Board North America.

“ATTA has been an incredible catalyst in supporting Jordan and helping the tourism board in reaching and educating adventure travelers about Jordan.”

The announcement of the new event was made during the ATTA’s Adventure Travel World Summit in Anchorage, Alaska last week.

ATTA president Shannon Stowell, who is an ardent supporter of travel to Jordan, said: “I have experienced transformational adventures in Jordan and know that this market is full of potential.” He added: “I want us to expand perceptions of the region and build confidence in those buying and selling adventures in Jordan and surrounding countries.”

ANNE will be the first conference of its kind in a region where stories of travel and adventure date back thousands of years. This new conference for the adventure market will bridge the East with the West and foster the growth of sustainable, environmental, cultural and adventure tourism in the region.