The Jordan Hotels Association (JHA) and the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA) held a meeting with a representative and member of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Tourism, the President of the Latakia Tourism Chamber, and the Chairman of the Committee of Tourism Inbound Companies, to discuss ways to strengthen tourism and hotel cooperation between Jordan and Syria, as well as opportunities to develop tourism flows and joint promotion between the two countries.

The meeting was attended by Hussein Hilalat, Chairman of the Jordan Hotels Association; Nabih Riyal, Chairman of Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association; and Mohammad Al-Qasem, General Manager of the Jordan Hotels Association.

At the outset of the meeting, Samer Al-Masri, representing the Syrian side, provided an overview of the current state of the tourism sector in Syria and recent developments, emphasizing the importance of strengthening cooperation with the Jordanian side and benefiting from the expertise available within Jordan’s tourism sector. He also highlighted the key challenges that could be addressed jointly by both sides.

For his part, Hilalat welcomed the Syrian delegation, stressing the importance of strengthening tourism relations between the two countries and building on the existing relations to further develop cooperation between the tourism and hotel sectors in Jordan and Syria.

The two sides discussed positioning Jordan and Syria as an integrated tourism destination. Nabih riyal emphasized the importance of coordination in developing and promoting joint tourism programs that connect tourist destinations in both countries, contributing to diversifying tourism products, extending visitors’ length of stay, and enhancing reciprocal tourism flows.

The two sides also discussed the possibility of strengthening joint tourism promotion in coordination with the Jordan Tourism Board and the relevant authorities in both countries, in a manner that would contribute to promoting the Jordanian and Syrian destinations in target markets.

Hilalat affirmed the Jordan Hotels Association’s readiness to provide technical support, expertise, and specialized knowledge to the Syrian side, while sharing the Association’s experience in developing the hotel sector, enhancing service quality, and advancing professional standards.

He also noted that the Association, in coordination with the relevant Jordanian official authorities, will work to explore ways to address and overcome the existing challenges facing tourism movement and cooperation between the two countries.

The participants emphasized the importance of maintaining coordination and communication during the coming period and translating the outcomes of the meeting into practical steps and joint programs, in a manner that strengthens tourism integration between Jordan and Syria and opens broader prospects for cooperation between the tourism and hotel sectors in both countries.