On Monday, 20th of March 2023, RESTART MED! participated in face-to-face event Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Economic Development and Employment aimed at supporting Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Economic Development and Employment network in Aqaba organized by Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and GIZ Jordan.

The event discussed the following issues:

• Strategies and policies to support entrepreneurship network in Aqaba
• How to support sustainable tourism entrepreneurship for sustainable economic and social development in Aqaba
• Sustainable entrepreneurship challenges and policy analysis in Aqaba
• To exchange the experience among the stakeholders

In the event participated representatives of Tourism and Tourism-Related Public and CBOs, logistics services, and industry sector.

Important takeaways

Advances RESTART MED!: We had a presentation about RESTART MED! objectives of the project and outcomes of the focus groups that done about policy review and how it will help in shaping the future of sustainable tourism in Jordan and how it will contribute to sustainable tourism entrepreneurship in Aqaba.

The participants agreed that strategies and policies of sustainable tourism entrepreneurship need to be revised and supported to help in generating income, employment, and conservation of local ecosystems. For example, Sharif Alomari form youth future centre pointed out sustainable entrepreneurship policy makers have to rethink about how to revise the strategies and policies of sustainable entrepreneurship in General and sustainable tourism entrepreneurship in particular. Moreover, Aahed Khliefat from University of Jordan – Aqaba highlighted that the importance of these project in promoting sustainable tourism entrepreneurship. Dr Ayman from JUST/ RESTART MED team participate in the events and presented the objectives and tools of RESTART MED to develop a sustainable tourism.