Mustafa Kawash, General Manager of the Jordan Hotels Association, represented the Association at the “Tunisia Innovates: Tourism and Creative Industries” conference, held on May 29, 2025, at the Mövenpick Hotel Gammarth – Tunisia. The event was part of the initiatives “Tanit – Transition Towards Alternative, Inclusive, and Sustainable Tourism in Tunisia” and the “EUROMED Clusters Forward (ECF) Program,” implemented by Leaders International, with support from the European Union, in partnership with Tunisia’s Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts, and in collaboration with the “Creative Tunisia” project.

This participation took place within the framework of an official visit that included attendance at the conference as well as a series of meetings and field activities over the course of two days. These activities included visits to creative hubs and design centers, along with professional engagements with stakeholders from the tourism, culture, and creative industries sectors across the region.

During the meetings held as part of the program, Mr. Kawash shared the Jordanian experience in developing sustainable tourism, emphasizing the importance of adopting a holistic approach that considers environmental, economic, and social dimensions in tourism development. He highlighted Jordan’s efforts to integrate local communities into the tourism value chain by supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), providing training and empowerment opportunities, and encouraging the inclusion of local products and services in hotel and tourism supply chains.

He also noted that women’s empowerment is a key pillar of Jordan’s tourism strategy, through promoting their active participation in the hospitality and service sectors and supporting their leadership in home-based and artisanal tourism projects. These efforts contribute to social equity and local economic development.

Kawash stressed the importance of preserving the environment and cultural heritage as fundamental components of sector sustainability. He pointed out that Jordan employs eco-friendly practices in hotels and tourism facilities, with a strong shift toward green tourism and active private sector involvement in implementing environmental initiatives.

He also discussed the significance of public-private partnerships in shaping tourism policies and achieving sustainable development goals. He highlighted the role of tourism associations, such as the Jordan Hotels Association, in representing the interests of the sector, building bridges with local communities, encouraging innovation, and diversifying tourism offerings to include eco-tourism, cultural tourism, religious tourism, as well as medical tourism and conferences.

The visit also shed light on Tunisia’s experience in developing alternative tourism based on sustainability principles, empowerment of marginalized groups, and preservation of cultural identity. The meetings demonstrated the importance of institutional integration and multilateral government support for tourism in Tunisia, along with a notably high rate of women’s participation in the sector, which stands at 60%.

This participation reflects the Jordan Hotels Association’s commitment to fostering regional cooperation, engaging with leading international experiences, and exchanging knowledge in tourism innovation and sustainable development — all of which support Jordan’s efforts to enhance its tourism sector and strengthen its regional and global competitiveness.