Tourism Minister Inaugurates Specialized Workshop to Qualify Tour Guides in Christian Pilgrimage

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Dr. Emad Hijazeen, on Monday inaugurated a specialized workshop for tour guides, organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in cooperation with Ammon Applied University College, the Custody of the Holy Land – Terra Sancta, the Franciscan Institute, and the Jordan Tour Guides Association.

The workshop aims to qualify guides in the field of Christian pilgrimage by providing in-depth study of Christian pilgrimage sites in Jordan and integrating sacred texts with archaeology and historical traditions through academic lectures and guided field tours.

The opening of the workshop was attended by the Chairman of the Tourism and Heritage Committee in the Senate, Michael Nazzal; the Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan, Bishop Iyad Twal; the President of the Jordan Tour Guides Association, Ayman Omar; and representatives of the Council of Heads of Churches in Jordan, including Archimandrite Venedictos Qeial, Archdeacon Rev. Faik Haddad, and the President of the Holy Land Association “Terra Sancta,” Tareq Rizqallah.

Dr. Hijazeen said that this specialized workshop for qualifying guides in Christian pilgrimage comes within the framework of ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of religious tourism in Jordan and to strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a leading destination for understanding the history of Christianity and its deep roots.

He noted that the abundance of sacred sites in Jordan, foremost among them the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ (Al-Maghtas), makes the country a milestone on the global Christian pilgrimage map, emphasizing that specialized tour guides stand out as pivotal elements in conveying the civilizational and spiritual message embodied by these sites.

For his part, the Vatican Ambassador, Monsignor Giovanni Dal Toso, said that this cooperation underscores the importance of unifying the efforts of the various entities concerned with tourism, leading to a shared approach and a comprehensive plan to enhance religious tourism in Jordan, which, he said, is rich in historical and archaeological sites, particularly Christian ones.

He highlighted His Majesty King Abdullah II’s affirmation before the European Parliament of Jordan’s pride in being home to the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him.

In turn, the Representative of the Custody of the Holy Land in Jordan, Father Francesco Patton, voiced his deep gratitude to His Majesty King Abdullah II for his continued care of the holy sites, noting that the objective of this cooperation is to prepare tour guides whose role goes beyond technical expertise to becoming authentic storytellers of the sanctity associated with religious sites.