The 10th Anniversary conference of The Travel Next Door kicked off in Jordan Monday night, on what could be best described as an epic setting to celebrate ten years of growth and accomplishments. 284 primary and associate agents are being joined by TTAND staff, partners Royal Jordanian Air, G Adventures and The Jordan Tourism Board for a total of 300 attendees in what the country has said is the largest meeting for them in years.
Monday was our arrival day and already feel like we’ve experienced so much that it’s hard to condense into one opening article. We’ve visited G Adventures’ partner through the Planeterra Foundation Beit Kayarat Souf located in Jerash, saw the Roman Ruins of Jerash, floated in the Dead Sea located on the beach at our hotel the Crowne Plaza Dead Sea Resort and experienced a gorgeous, white-themed cocktail and dinner at sunset with the Jerusalem Mountains in the background.
TTAND travel agents Michele Davidson and Arlene Gibbons with TPC's Marsha Mowers enjoying the mud and a soak in the Dead Sea. (Photo Credit: Michele Davidson)
“Jordan is like a second home to me,” said David Green, G Adventures who is a partner of the conference. “It’s the fourth time I’ve been here in a couple of years, and what started as an idea at an event in Toronto with the Jordan Tourism Board grew and we’re genuinely excited to show off Jordan during this amazing week ahead.”
“Our vision is to continually elevate, evolve and support the profession of selling travel,” TTAND Founder Flemming Friisdahl told the room during its opening session Monday morning. “We’re on track to be about 70 staff by end of the year, offer better commission from suppliers, more support for everyone with cutting-edge technology, and AI-powered editors for seamless content creation.
We’re also excited for a great week ahead of exploring this beautiful country and celebrating ten years of TTAND.”
When Jordan was announced as this year’s destination at last year’s conference, the crowd erupted into cheers. When registration opened earlier this year for TTAND’s nearly 1400 agents, it filled up in under 10 seconds. When world events happening nearby drew safety concerns, agents were polled and 80% still wanted to move forward. The demand to visit Jordan is there and that’s what G Adventures, Royal Jordanian Air and the Jordan Tourism Board are hoping will translate into increased visitation as tourism rebuilds after COVID and continuing wars in the Middle East.
(Photo Credit: Marsha Mowers)
“Royal Jordanian Airlines was one of first airlines here in the region, far before larger airlines such as Emirates, Qatar and what we are trying to do now is to grow Royal Jordanian; we’ve ordered 30 brand new aircrafts for the next three years, with plans to double our size,“ Karim Makhlouf, COO, Royal Jordanian told TravelPulse at the opening white party.
We currently have less than 4 million tourists per year, and we want to grow to 7.2 million passengers by 2028.”
Avril Matthews, Jordan Tourism Board (Photo Credit: Marsha Mowers)
This week in addition to connecting with suppliers, other agents and learning updates on TTAND, attendees will be getting what Avril Matthews, Jordan Tourism Board says is only just a taste of the country.
“I like to think this conference and this tour you're on as your Jordan appetizer, and you're going to have to come back for the full meal deal,” Avril Matthews, of the Jordan Tourism Board told attendees Tuesday morning.
“For a small country, it packs a pretty powerful punch. Each experience that you will have here in Jordan is completely different than the last.”
Those experiences this week for conference attendees include visiting famous UNESCO sites Wadi Rum and Petra and an authentic Bedouin dinner.
Stay tuned – TTAND’s 10th Anniversary celebrations have only just begun!
Topics From This Article to Explore
