The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) and the Irish low-cost airline, Ryanair, have renewed a cooperation agreement that will last until 2028, adding 4 new routes, which brings the total number to 25 that link the Kingdom with 12 European cities. Chairman of the JTB Makram Qaisi said: "We are pleased to increase the number of routes with the international company Ryanair, which contributes to a significant increase in the number of tourists to the Kingdom during the coming period." Qaisi said that the agreement reflects the importance of low-cost aviation in attracting tourists to Jordan, noting that the Kingdom has witnessed a positive shift in the tourism movement in recent years, especially post-COVID. For his part, Director General of the JTB Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat stated that the expected increase in the number of tourists will contribute to the distribution of tourism development gains across governorates, in addition to marketing tourism experiences in the Kingdom, which will have a positive effect on on local communities by creating new job opportunities. He pointed out that Ryanair has a large social media following, noting that the company's professional and strong marketing content will be leveraged to highlight tourism in Jordan. In turn, CEO of Ryanair Eddie Wilson expressed his happiness at renewing the agreement, which was first signed five years ago, increasing the number of Ryanair routes to the Kingdom. He noted that the launch of Ryanair services in Jordan had a positive impact on enhancing the dynamism of the tourism sector, which led to an increase in the influx of entirely new categories of tourists to Jordan, especially from Eastern Europe. The renewal of the agreement, he indicated, will up the number of routes to 25 within more than 100 flights per week, predicting that more than 600,000 passengers will travel to and from Jordan annually, which contributes to the growth of flights at rates that may reach 30 percent to Jordan compared to last year. He pointed out that the new routes will connect Amman with Pisa, Italy; Brussels, Belgium; and Marseille, France, and a fourth line will link the city of Aqaba to Madrid, Spain.
Source: Jordan News Agency
