Almost 100 travel advisors and staff from Travel Leaders Network were present at the organization’s 20th Annual International Summit, which took place April 12-15, 2019, in Petra, Jordan, nicknamed the “Rose City.”
2019’s event gave participants the chance to check out VIP cultural and culinary experiences, including a private candlelight dinner at the archaeological site of Little Petra. Attendees stayed at the Petra Marriott Hotel, just 15 minutes from the Petra World Heritage Site.
Exclusive adventures around “Rose City” were made possible in collaboration with several partners. The Jordan Tourism Bureau, as well as Abercrombie & Kent Jordan, provided opportunities before, during and after the summit, like a full day of desert adventures in Wadi Rum, followed by a desert sunset reception and private dinner at Wadi Rum Castle.
Shannon Stowell, CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, also talked to the Travel Leaders Network travel advisors and staff about the meaningfulness of travel and the impact it has on the destination.
Some locations attendees visited include:
- The Treasury: The location of the Holy Grail in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Several Travel Leaders advisors hiked up the 850 steps to the Petra Monastery, overlooking the Araba valley.
- The Ayla area: a place to experience the white-sand beach on the Gulf of Aqaba, which is part of the Red Sea. Participants could witness Israel’s shoreline and Egypt in the distance. The modernized community spanned across 17 kilometers of newly formed waterfront and white sand beaches.
- Shobak Castle: a historical structure that was formerly a fortress built in 1115 AD by Baldwin I. The fortress, known as Mont Realis (or Montreal) guarded the essential Damascus to Cairo trade route.
- Wadi Rum: Nicknamed the Valley of the Moon, Wadi Rum is the largest of Jordan’s desert landscapes. Here participants connected with local Bedouins and dined under a tent at Mazayen Rum Camp. Afterward, the group separated into tours by camel, a four-wheel drive vehicle or an ATV quad ride.
- Pharaoh’s Island: An opportunity to sail the Red Sea, visit the Crusader’s Castle or go snorkeling in the coral reef.
Pre- and post- touring opportunities included visits to the capital city of Amman, the Greco-Roman city of Jerash, the Dead Sea and a climb to the top of Mount Nebo, the place of the Moses Memorial. And in Egypt, participants were able to visit Cairo and Luxor to experience the Pyramids of Giza, the Temples of Karnak and Sphinx.
In other Travel Leaders Network news, the company, alongside its sister brand Travel Leaders Corporate, has begun an international expansion program. It is designed to provide improved service to the two brands’ corporate customers.
For more information, visit https://www.travelleaders.com/
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