Lebanese tourists arrive via Syria after years of sealed crossing

AMMAN — A Lebanese tourist group on Thursday arrived in Jordan through the Nassib-Jaber border crossing, and are scheduled to visit several archaeological sites in the Kingdom. 

The group, composed of more than 50 people, will visit the Dead Sea, the Baptism Site, Wadi Rum, Petra and Aqaba as part of a tourism programme to visit various tourist attractions in Jordan, according to a statement issued by the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB).

The group’s arrival at the border crossing coincided with the return of MPs from a visit to Syria, where lawmakers welcomed them to Jordan and wished them a good stay.

Lt. Col. Raed Habashneh, deputy director of the Jaber border crossing with Syria, and representatives from the JTB and Irbid Tourism Directorate received the Lebanese visitors and offered them souvenirs.

JTB Director General Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat said that the reopening of the crossing between Syria and Jordan will contribute to increasing the number of passengers from Lebanon to Jordan, noting that the JTB has recently launched a marketing campaign in Lebanon. 

The Jaber/Nasib crossing between Jordan and Syria reopened on October 15, for passenger and cargo movement under certain conditions agreed upon between the two countries.

The crossing had been closed for three years due to the security situation in southern Syria.

Arabiyat expressed happiness for the arrival of the first Lebanese tourist group to cross the border into the Kingdom in years.

He also referred to many factors that reflect positive indicators for the improvement of tourism between Jordan and Lebanon, noting that there were many types of tourism in the Kingdom that attract Lebanese people, especially religious tourism.

Jordan was recently placed among the list of top countries to be visited in 2019 by Lonely Planet’s “Best in Travel” guide.

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