As if we needed another reason to love Crown Prince Hussein…
From the UNESCO World Heritage-certified Petra caves to the Greco-Roman archaeological site of Jerash, Jordan is undoubtedly a country rich in culture and history.
But Crown Prince Hussein is on a mission to promote another burgeoning sector of the economy that could open the floodgates for many more visitors – ecotourism.
On Tuesday, the crown prince stopped by the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve in Azraq to open its visitor centre. Shaumari houses several endangered and rare species of flora and fauna including the Arabian oryx, rhim gazelles, houbara birds and exotic varieties of wild plants.
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As well as handling a falcon, the charismatic crown prince met with the reserve’s management to discuss its conservation strategies.
On Instagram, he said: “Eco-tourism is an increasingly popular and important field of tourism, and #OurJordan is blessed with richly diverse eco-tourist attractions.”
Crown Prince Hussein also enjoyed a safari tour of the 22-square-kilometre Shaumari reserve that was created in 1975 by the Royal Society for Conservation of Nature with support from the World Wildlife Fund.
It is hoped the new visitor centre will attract tourists who land in Amman, which is approximately 125 kilometres away. Camping and hiking are just some of the activities that visitors would be able to enjoy in the area.
The crown prince was accompanied on his visit to the reserve by Yousef Issawi, who was recently appointed Royal Court Chief and Head of Protocol. We’re guessing Yousef and Crown Prince Hussein have had a busy past few days with Prince William’s visit.
While his parents, King Abdullah II and Queen Rania are on a state visit to America, the crown prince has been holding down the fort back home and played the perfect host to Prince William.
Oh, and he turns 24 tomorrow. Here’s wishing him the very best.
Images: Instagram
