“… the award-winning sustainable tourism and eco-tourism projects, which are helping us to both protect and promote the things that are most precious to us …

… From Yarmouk in the north to the southern mountains of Aqaba, these parks will create wildlife corridors and sanctuaries for endangered plants. They’ll be looked after by local communities, who know the landscape better than anyone, and will offer visitors unique cultural experiences, …”

… said Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah while addressing hundreds of CEOs and travel industry leaders this past Tuesday her keynote address at Conde Nast Traveler’s 2nd Annual World Savers Congress in New York.

For a description of one of these “sustainable ecotourism projects” one need only visit my recent post about the Jordan’s initiative to re-invent the Shaumari Reserve.

Of course, there’s more to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan than eco-tourism, as Her Majesty enumerated while promoting the Middle East an attractive travel option for prospective tourists of all ilks:

• “If you’re looking for a place to relax, the Dead Sea will make you feel more alive than ever,” she said. “It’s the lowest point on earth, with the highest oxygen content in the world… and is home to the region’s biggest spa.”
• “If you want adventure, you can abseil down waterfalls, paraglide off sandstone crags, navigate Red Sea reefs, then cook supper deep in the desert sands of Wadi Rum,”
• “If you’re a history buff, we’ve got Roman ruins and desert castles from the Umayyad times to explore, and our famous Nabataean city of Petra, carved out of red stone cliffs – where Indiana Jones’ escapades ended when he found the Holy Grail.”

Yes, this is sort of a fluff piece … but having been to Jordan twice … all I can do is verify that what Queen Rania states is true … in fact this very blog is a testament to that.

That and I was just speaking to a neighbor who was going to the Middle East on business … so hopefully he reads this after bending his ear all afternoon about how he should take an extra week to experience the journey that is Jordan.

Here are some related articles on the above topic:

• Keeping Up With Conde Nast Traveler’s 2nd Annual World Savers Congress – Traveling the Green Way
• HuffingtonPost – Can Travel Change the World?
• Queen promotes Middle East as attractive tourist destination – Jordan Embassy to the US
• Jordan Times – Queen promotes Middle East as attractive tourist destination
• CNT’s World Savers Congress: Shout-Out to Fellow Travel Bloggers
• Update Blog – Conde Nast Savers Congress – Day’s Agenda
• Diplomats, Environmentalists, and the Power of Travel – Nerd’s Eye View

Update – 30Sep08 – So How WAS that World Savers Congress Anyway? You can ask Matt Damon whose YouTube video is posted over at Conde Nast Traveler’s on Concierge.com.

“In a world where it is so easy to connect with one another, we still remain disconnected. There is a whole world of wonder out there that we cannot appreciate with stereotypes. So it is important for all of us to join forces, come together and try to bring down those misconceptions. And I have been surprised by some of the questions I have been asked about the Arab world and the Middle East. Do all Arabs hate Americans? Can Arab women work? Are there any YouTubers in Jordan?”

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFf897bUW2Y&autoplay=0 425 350]

For those whom may be surprised by the establishment of a royal vlogger, Queen Rania Al Abdullah is a major voice of the Hashemite Kingdom to the Jordanian and International community in establishing a greater undestanding and dialog between culture.

Which explains why she is using this channel to solicit questions about the Islamic and the Arabic world until August 12, 2008, where on International Youth Day Queen Rania will respond with answers that I personally think might surprise many U.S. readers.

Well actually, on a second visit to her video blog, I’m seeing she’s answering some of the questions right away – including video snips from some Americans  in Jordan.