AMMAN -- Jordanian and Italian officials on Wednesday explored ways to bolster cooperation in the tourism sector.
Tourism Minister Nidal Katamine held a meeting with Italian Minister of Culture and Tourism Massimo Bray to discuss the matter, where they also signed a cooperation agreement.
"There is great potential for cooperation in the field of tourism between the two countries, and we hope we are able to learn from your expertise," Katamine said, adding that Jordan is looking to increase bilateral cooperation with Italy to "see how we can create attractive tourism packages for Italian visitors".
He added that the Kingdom also needs to promote religious sites such as the Baptism Site to attract more tourists.
The minister stressed the importance of connecting tourism with culture, an experience that is currently implemented in Italy, noting that "there is no point in separating tourism from culture".
Katamine called for developing cooperation at the academic level between the two countries through tourism conferences.
For his part, Bray expressed his country's willingness to develop cooperation with Jordan in the cultural and tourism spheres, adding that culture and traditions are important for dialogue between countries.
He noted that throughout the years, many Italian missions came to Jordan to become acquainted with the Kingdom's cultural heritage.
These missions were also involved in providing training for Jordanian researchers, according to the Italian minister.
Meanwhile, the agreement signed on Tuesday is aimed at supporting the preservation and maintenance of cultural heritage in Jordan through developing regulations and building the capacities of employees in the field.
The agreement also stipulates exchanging expertise between Jordan and Italy.
Also on Tuesday, Culture Minister Lana Mamkegh met with Bray and discussed preparing a joint-cultural Jordanian-Italian programme, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
He said Jordan is among Middle Eastern countries Italy pays close attention to for its cultural richness and numerous holy sites, stressing the need to cooperate with the Kingdom by hosting talented Jordanian students over the next few years.
Petra quoted Bray as saying that Italy relies on the creative aspects of culture, such as music, to keep the new generations connected to their cultural heritage.
The Italian minister said his ministry, which employs some 19,000 employees and has a budget of around 1.6 billion euros this year, works on safeguarding archaeological sites because they are part of human heritage.
Calling for further cooperation between Italian and Jordanian researchers concerned with culture, Bray invited Mamkegh to take a closer look at Italy's museums and culture, Petra reported.
© Jordan Times 2013
