AMMAN (JT) - Wadi Rum campsite owners have received first aid training in a bid to support the upgrade of campsites and ensure they meet minimum international safety standards.
The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), the Wadi Rum Protected Area (WRPA) management, and the USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project (Siyaha) cooperated in organising the training workshop last month, attended by owners of 37 camps located within the protected area.
The training was conducted by the Aqaba Civil Defence Department (Al Shakriya Civil Defence Centre) and on completion of the workshop, first aid kits were distributed to each of the 37 campsite owners, according to a statement released by USAID-Siyaha.
The kits, contributed by Rawhi Pharmacy, contain basic first aid items such as calamine lotion, scissors, rubbing alcohol and plasters.
The campsites in Wadi Rum are mostly owned and operated by bedouins from the area and provide a good source of income for the local communities.
However, current standards do not always meet the expectations and needs of international tourists, and this can be detrimental to the owners, according to the statement.
Therefore, USAID/Siyaha undertook to develop a set of minimum standards for campsites that are based on basic guest requirements such as safety and hygiene, comfort, authenticity and environmental measures.
This initiative, which is being conducted in cooperation with WRPA management and ASEZA, is part of USAID/Siyaha's work to develop tourism products and services in Wadi Rum.
"USAID/Siyaha has been working with the WRPA management and ASEZA over the past months to develop minimum standards for licensing the Kingdom's desert campsites," USAID Private Enterprise Officer Eric Johnson said.
"These standards were recently finalised and successfully tested at all 37 camps in Wadi Rum," he added.
The minimum campsite standards are currently being reviewed by ASEZA prior to formal adoption.
The first aid training came about as part of efforts to upgrade campsites in the WRPA and attain minimum standards at each.
These standards require that a first aid attendant be available at the site when guests are camping. They also demand that an up-to-date first aid kit is available at all times.
"The information provided at the workshop is vital as it is important for us to know what to do in case of emergencies at our campsites," said Difalla Al Zalabia, owner of a campsite in Wadi Rum who has been in the business for 35 years.
"It is also good to receive a first aid kit as this is essential to all campsites," he added.
© Jordan Times 2007
