Promoting Jordan as a cultural destination being the only open air Research Paper

Promoting Jordan as a cultural destination being the only open air museum in the world - Research Paper Example I have once again proven this to myself when I visited Jordan and attended a concert for Mohammed Assaf, winner of Arab Idol, and Farah Yousef at Amman citadel on the 28th of August 2013. More than 3,000 people witnessed the dazzling, heartfelt performance of Mohammed Assaf. However, the tremendous success of the event would not be possible without the fervent support and ingenuity of the show’s organizer—the Friends of the Jordan Festivals. The Friends of the Jordan Festivals (FJF) was formed by individuals and groups that possess a deep-seated passion for culture and the arts, and are committed to the goal of making Jordan the topnotch cultural destination in the world. FJF organizes a variety of cultural events for a varied mix of entertainment audiences. Besides satisfying local tastes for culture and arts, FJF aspires to create globally renowned entertainment products. The unending commitment of FJF to the success of Jordan in tourism and cultural promotion is reve aled in its triumphant organization of major cultural events, such as the 2010 Jordan Festival, the Cirque du Soleil, Saltimbanco Show, Cirque de Glace, and the Evolution Show. And on July 2013, FJF publicized the opening of the Amman Citadel Festival for this year. The Festival showed off the finest artists of Jordan and other Middle Eastern countries. It seems that FJF thought that the festival has to be hosted with several big names, like Julio Iglesias, Marcel Khalife, and Khaled Salim, to draw the attention of audiences all over the world; but in reality Jordan is perhaps most rightfully positioned to act as a meeting point between the Middle East and the rest of the world. Isam Salfiti, Chairman of FJF, expressed their unwavering commitment to the country’s cultural tourism sector: â€Å"We look forward to helping enhance Jordan’s touristic appeal, as we believe that the Kingdom has all the makings of a world class destination†. This latest announcement of FJF has been distributed by Bidaya Corporate Communication, which is a regional public relations agency and regional event organizer. Because of its exceptional ability to satisfy the demands of its diverse clientele, Bidaya has become the favorite associate of leading local, regional, and global organizations. Bidaya Corporate Communications helps NGOs, like FJF, to stage the most successful cultural and historic events in the country. More notably, His Majesty King Abdullah II has committed to the goal of enriching Jordan’s cultural and artistic scenery. His Majesty aims to transform Jordan into a first-class economic and touristic destination. As part of His Majesty’s national tourism strategy, he commissioned Zaha Hadid Architects in 2010 to create the most exquisite design for a new performing arts center that will be built in Amman. Envisioned as a venue for performance, studying, mentoring, and rehearsing, the King Abdullah II House of Culture & Art was visuali zed to be the leading site for education, artistic and cultural performance in Jordan. It is His Majesty’s belief that through this initiative he would succeed in promoting the country’s great potential in tourism and in bringing together all its citizens in the collective experience of history, culture, and the arts. Derived from the Royal idea of a self-sufficient historical restoration organization in Jordan, His Majesty also ordered in 2010 the creation of the Jordan Heritage Revival Company (JHRC).