Queen Rania of Jordan visited the Ajloun Forest Reserve in Ajloun on 21 July to learn more about tourist experiences in the area.
The Queen was able to see the experiences “offered by Reef Spring Resorts and the Ajloun Forest Reserve through the sustainable tourism platform Sawwah,” according to Her Majesty’s Office.
She was welcomed by Manager, Othman Tawalbeh and Tourism Manager, Qais Shawashra upon her arrival at the reserve before she took a walk on the hiking trail and stopped by the Nature Shop where products are on sale that are made by local community members.
Later, she took part in activities such as pottery making and honey extraction.
Queen Rania also spent time at the Reef Springs Resort, which is a family home that doubles as a restaurant. There, she received a tour of the garden, heard about its indigenous plants and made traditional thyme.
Her time at the resort also provided Her Majesty with an opportunity to speak with members of Sawwah – an online platform for tourists that helps them find traditional Jordanian experiences. The platform’s CEO, Sahar Barqawi, told her about what they are doing to promote sustainable tourism – something the Queen is passionate about.
After the Queen’s visit, Her Majesty wrote on Instagram, “Majestic mountains, green landscapes, fresh air…There’s nothing better than a day spent in picturesque Ajloun! Thank you to the warm people of Ajloun and to the Sawwah and Ajloun Forest Reserve teams for the memorable visit today.”
Over the past month, Queen Rania has been visited locations in Jordan to promote tourism after the tourism sector took a significant hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
