AMMAN — Tourism Minister Majd Shweikeh met her Chechen counterpart Muslim Baytazev on Wednesday to discuss means of enhancing bilateral tourism cooperation, according to a ministry statement.

 

During the meeting, attended by Director General of the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat, Shweikeh highlighted the importance of activating direct flights between the two countries to increase religious tourism to the Kingdom through joint programmes related to umrah (the lesser Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca).

 

The minister predicted some 11 million arrivals to the Kingdom as a result of introducing the guest delegation to the Jordanian tourism product.

 

Baytazev highlighted the Kingdom's religious sites of interest to the Chechen Republic, pointing out that his visit came upon Chechen president's direct directives after his recent visit to Jordan.  Arabiyat noted that the JTB has developed a marketing plan for the Chechen market, including issuing booklets in the Chechen and Russian languages about the shrines of Prophet Mohammad's companions.