BEST newsletter - June 2016

The USAID Building Economic Sustainability through Tourism Project (BEST) extends its congratulations to Her Excellency Lina Annab on her new position as Minister of Tourism and Antiquities. At the same time USAID BEST extends its sincere thanks and appreciation to outgoing Minister of Tourism and Antiquities His Excellency Nayef Al Fayez for many years of successful cooperation which he led with expertise, energy and passion for building Jordan into a globally competitive tourism destination. This month, USAID BEST project is excited to announce a new tourism loan product being launched mid-July by the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance that aims to boost credit to small, medium and large-sized tourism businesses. USAID BEST is also supporting JETT to develop ten new bus excursions, providing locals and visitors with reliable, affordable and convenient tours to popular destinations around Jordan. An innovative new program was launched by MoTA with USAID BEST support that will see five Jordanian towns compete for the designation of “Distinctive Destination”. This program aims to enhance and promote the unique tourism assets of each location to increase the number of tourists visiting these destinations. Keep reading to learn more about these and other exciting new initiatives helping to enhance Jordan’s tourism sector.