Amman: The Board of Directors of the Jordan Hotels Association (JHA) on Tuesday met with a delegation from the Chamber of Tourism for the Northern Region of the Syrian Arab Republic to discuss strengthening tourism and hospitality cooperation and exchanging industry expertise.
According to Jordan News Agency, the visiting Syrian delegation included key figures such as the President of the Chamber of Tourism for the Northern Region, Ahmed Al-Mulla, Vice President Mohammad Wajih Hammash, General Assembly member for the restaurant sector, Abdul Fattah Najjar, and Chamber Advisor, Basel Mawass. They were warmly received by JHA President Hussein Hilalat, Board Member Hassan Madi, and Board Member and Acting JHA Director General Mohammad Al-Qasim, accompanied by the JHA technical team.
In a meeting underscoring the depth of fraternal ties between Jordan and Syria, both sides emphasized the importance of building effective partnerships between hospitality institutions to advance the tourism sector and stimulate joint economic and investment cooperation. The discussions detailed the current state of the hospitality sector, its challenges, and emerging opportunities, with a focus on exchanging successful practices in hotel management, operations, and service quality control, aligning with international hospitality benchmarks.
A significant aspect of the conversation was the necessity of training and qualifying the hospitality workforce, aiming to attract top talent and integrate them effectively into the labor market. This initiative is seen as critical to meeting industry demands and elevating human resource efficiency, which is considered the backbone of the hospitality sector.
The meeting further explored available investment opportunities in both Jordan and Syria, discussing potential collaborations to attract hospitality investments by leveraging the diverse cultural, historical, and tourism assets of both countries. This strategic move aims to boost their presence on the regional tourism map.
Discussions also delved into hotel classification standards and the implementation of modern professional criteria to raise hospitality service levels and enhance the competitiveness of tourist facilities. The exchange of expertise in quality control systems and institutional development was highlighted as a key area of focus.
Concluding the meeting, both parties expressed their commitment to ongoing communication and coordination to pave the way for joint initiatives serving the tourism sectors in both nations. The Syrian delegation expressed appreciation to the JHA for the warm reception, praising Jordan's experience in hospitality development, while Hilalat reiterated the JHA's keenness to support joint Arab cooperation.