LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear Members and Friends,

December 2008 saw the coincidence of four major Muslim and Christian religious occasions: the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and Eid al-Adha, Christmas, the new Islamic “Hijri” year, and the New Gregorian Year.

Early January saw the convergence of thousands of Christians and pilgrims from Jordan and around the world marked Epiphany and the annual Pilgrimage day at the Baptism Site (Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan).

The site, where Jesus Christ has been baptized by John the Baptist, is a leading attraction for thousands of tourists from around the world. Also knows as al-Maghtas in Arabic, it has drawn 280,000 visitors and pilgrims (mostly European) in 2008, which represents a rise of 86% over 2007.

Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan will host Pope Benedict XVI who is expected to visit the Kingdom next May, and who will lay the corner stone for the Latin Church there. He will be the second pope to visit the Baptism Site since it was discovered in 1996.

We are looking forward to 2009 as a year of peace and stability. We are also full of hope that we will be able to overcome the challenges posed by the global economic and financial crisis.

Jordan's uniqueness and strongest selling point is its diversity, and the combination of a strategic geographical position, mild climate, diverse landscape, rich history and culture, holy sites, historical and archaeological locations, a cosmopolitan capital, and reasonable cost.

Happy New Year, and welcome to this new edition of JTBwire.


Nayef Al-Fayez
Managing Director