Amman: The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) wrapped up its participation in the International Tourism Exchange Exhibition (BIT) held in Italy from February 4 to 6. The event saw 24 tourist offices and hotels, alongside representatives from the Jordanian Embassy in Italy, the Royal Jordanian airline, and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) come together. According to a statement by the ASEZA on Tuesday, Italian Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanche, visited the Jordanian pavilion and met with Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat, Director General of the ASEZA. Discussions centered on enhancing cooperation and emphasizing the strong relationship between Italy and Jordan. During a meeting with the President of the Italian Tourism Association, Arabiyat highlighted the significance of the exhibition as a prime opportunity to strengthen ties between suppliers and distribution channels in the tourism sector. Both sides addressed key obstacles facing the tourism industry, proposing solutions. Arabiyat anticipated a 20 to 25 percent increase in Italian tourism to the Kingdom this year, citing a notable rise from 73,000 to 128,000 Italian tourists visiting Jordan last year. He underscored the pivotal role of the Jordanian pavilion in promoting tourism, noting 49 meetings held with Italian tourism stakeholders, airline companies, and media outlets. The focus remained on promoting Jordan and exploring avenues for collaboration. Arabiyat emphasized that interviews and meetings with foreign media during the exhibition aimed to showcase Jordan positively, marking the event as Italy's largest platform for promoting international tourism and marketing tourism offerings worldwide. Highlighting the authority's commitment to promoting Jordan as a tourist destination, Arabiyat expressed eagerness to participate in such international exhibitions. This participation allows for effective communication to understand the demands and proposals of marketing and promotional tour organizers, facilitating enhanced cooperation, he added. Alon gside the authority's participation, an event dubbed the "Jordan Event" was organized to strengthen relations between Jordanian and Italian tourism, featuring several Italian and Jordanian tourism offices. Source: Jordan News Agency