Under the guidance of Kai Partale, in cooperation with his Jordanian colleagues and on behalf of GOPA Consultants, all planned activities were completed, with the new website being the crowning achievement. The newly designed website, https://www.visitaqaba.com, offers a comprehensive insight into Aqaba's tourism landscape. A visually appealing showreel video was presented at the event, allowing attendees to explore the website's intuitive and interactive features. The video highlighted the wealth of information on Aqaba's tourism offerings and attractions and showed the website's potential as a comprehensive platform for visitors.
As part of the project, various transformative activities were carried out to strengthen the tourism sector, especially for MSMEs. An important aspect was creating a comprehensive MSME destination plan that provides a strategic framework for the sector's growth. This plan addressed key elements such as product development, marketing, governance, capacity building, and sustainability and formed the basis for future initiatives by ASEZA and its partners.
A particular focus was placed on the diving sector, one of Aqaba's main attractions. Supported by in-depth research and collaboration with stakeholders, a digital marketing strategy was developed to improve the competitiveness of MSMEs in this sector. The project also focused on positioning Aqaba as a distinctive destination by creating a coherent brand identity that ensures consistency across all promotional materials. Efforts were also made to improve Aqaba and Wadi Rum tourism by identifying and packaging new experiences promoted online. MSMEs received capacity building support to improve their digital presence through training and digital tools. In addition, the Green Fins sustainability certification was introduced to promote environmentally friendly practices in Aqaba's diving sector, with training and support provided to local diving centres.
The project also strengthened ASEZA's destination management role by providing training and developing guidelines to improve Aqaba's marketing activities. It exemplifies how strategic planning, collaboration, and innovation can promote regional tourism growth.