ASEZA launches first voluntary tourism trip in Wadi Rum

Aqaba, Aug 20 (Petra) – The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) on Wednesday launched the first trip under its new “voluntary tourism” program in Wadi Rum, with the participation of 24 young men and women from Amman and Aqaba. The initiative is organized by ASEZA in cooperation with Ayla Oasis Development Company and the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD).

Thabet Hassan Al-Nabulsi, ASEZA Commissioner for Tourism and Youth, said Wadi Rum was chosen for this type of tourism activity due to its natural and cultural assets, which make it an ideal setting to establish this new and unique product in Jordan’s tourism sector.

He said the program seeks to empower youth and support local communities, while also stimulating the national economy and raising awareness in the tourism sector about voluntary tourism as a new market trend. The initiative, he added, aims to position Jordan on the global map of voluntary tourism as a destination combining natural beauty with a distinctive cultural experience.

Al-Nabulsi stressed the importance of involving young people, in cooperation with civil society organizations, in activities that contribute to preserving the desert environment and promoting sustainable tourism. Such activities include cleaning campsites and tourist areas, participating in awareness campaigns on environmental protection, painting murals, and removing visual pollution.

//Petra// AF
20/08/2025 21:12:50