The Azraq Wetland Reserve was selected as one of the top 100 best sustainable tourist destinations in the world. The announcement was made during a conference, organised by the World Green Organisation in Athens, Greece, on the occasion of World Tourism Day 2022.

“This is a good achievement for Jordan, and it will boost ecotourism” president of The Jordan Environmental Union (JEU) Omar Shoshan informed the Jordon Times. There are many tourists around the world who prefer to choose places that consider the standards of environmental sustainability, and “absolutely this will motivate the environmental tourism,” added Shoshan.  Classification for this achievement is determined through tourism standards, as well as standards related to the extent of the reserve’s commitment to environmental and climatic standards, the JEU president said. This achievement will help protect the reserve from projects or other measures that could harm the environment, Shoshan said.

“This recognition will help place Jordan on the international map of tourism, and it will also help raise awareness among citizens about the reserve and its importance,” he added.

Azraq Wetland Reserve is on one of the most important migration routes for birds. It was established in 1978 and is considered one of the most important destinations for bird watchers; it is the place where two-thirds of the bird species in Jordan were recorded, that is, 350 species of birds, in addition to the Sirhani fish, which is the only vertebrate species endemic to Jordan.