Amman, Aug. 16 (Petra) -- Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA) and South African Embassy in Jordan on Sunday discussed opportunities to expand tourism cooperation, with a focus on faith tourism and vision to attract more South African visitors to the Kingdom.

JITOA Chairman Nabih Riyal and South African Ambassador to Jordan Tselane Mokuena discussed ways to develop joint tourist programs and routes, according to an association statement.

The discussions focused on opportunities in faith tourism, highlighting Jordan's "significant" religious and historical sites and the sector's promising potential to attract more visitors from South Africa.

During the meeting, Riyal called for strengthening cooperation with the South African Embassy and relevant authorities to develop joint initiatives and programs that would open new opportunities for inbound tourism and strengthen Jordan's presence in the South African market.

Mokuena, in turn, expressed interest in strengthening cooperation with the association and supporting efforts to develop tourist ties between the two countries, particularly in faith tourism, to boost tourist exchanges and broaden cooperation between the tourism sectors.

The JITOA said the meeting also went over opportunities linked to 2030, which will mark 2,000 years since key events and milestones in Christian history.

The JITOA said the occasion could provide a "global" opportunity to promote faith tourism and Christian pilgrimage, given Jordan's religious significance and its links to several biblical sites.

Both sides stressed the importance of using the occasion to promote Jordan as a "leading" faith-tourism destination and strengthen ties with markets interested in this area, particularly S. Africa.

As for future steps, they discussed possibility of organizing roadshows in major S. African cities and markets to promote Jordan's travel and religious attractions and explore cooperation with tour operators and travel agencies.

//Petra// NQ