In Aqaba, the splendid city overlooking the sea of the Jordanian coast, the CROSSDEV local partner - The Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS) – has recently organised a series of field trips designed to let the locals discover the beauties and hidden treasures of the area.

The “sustainable tourism campaign” took place from May to July 2022 and realised 21 tours attended by over 400 locals, including students, youth, women, authorities, people with disabilities and cancer patients. 84% of participants were female.

While visiting Aqaba’s historical sites - which have recently been targeted by CROSSDEV becoming sustainable tourism destinations – the participants learnt about the Byzantine Church, the Islamic Ayla City, the Aqaba Castle and their immense archeological value. They also visited exhibitions and attended awareness sessions on how to preserve historical and cultural sites and attract responsible tourists.

Despite being locals, many of the participants did not know the sites before the campaign and were surprised by the rich history of the area and its amazing sites. “I’ll come back here with my family and friends” was one of the most frequent answers to the post-experience evaluation questionnaire, showing the impact of the campaign and its ability to increase awareness and appreciation of the area among the locals.

Yet another CROSSDEV success!

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