Why these Jordanian CEOs are passionate about hosting travellers – and changing perspectives

For nearly 20 years, Ayman Khattab has been leading travellers through Jordan with G Adventures as a Chief Experience Officer (CEO) and wouldn’t trade in the job for anything else.

In 2005, Khattab felt a calling to try something new after leaving his former job as an x-ray technician. He decided to study to become a tour guide – and shortly after receiving his licence – became the first CEO to lead a tour in Jordan.

“I'm a very people person, so I thought, this is the right job for me,” he said.

“We used to have only two different trips in Jordan. It was the very beginning of G Adventures in Jordan.”

Today, G Adventures offers 18 tours to Jordan and in addition to Khattab, has 21 CEOs — 13 of which are primary — leading travellers through the country and educating them about all that Jordan has to offer.

CEO Wael Amira joined G Adventures a couple of years ago but has been working as a tour guide in Jordan for almost 18 years. He said under the guidance of other CEOs like Khattab, he was able to quickly learn about the values and practices that go into being a good CEO.

“Ayman is our inspiration. He's the corner rock of this, he’s our mentor. I think we all agree,” said Amira.

What fuels Khatteb and Amira to continue working in the tourism industry for as long as they have, is not just their passion and pride for their country but the opportunity to show the real Jordan to visitors.

“It’s not just a place to visit. It's a rich history. We have a rich culture. We have food. We have nature. We have landscapes. We got it all,” said Amira.

“And what makes it so special is the people. We are connecting people with our Jordanian people here, and this connection could last forever, and it makes me happy when strangers come to Jordan and leave as friends and family.”

Experiencing Jordan beyond Petra

As ambassadors of Jordan, Khatteb and Amira understand the importance and responsibility of providing outstanding hospitality and having their travellers leave with new perspectives and takeaways about the country.

“For me, there are a lot of things that I'd like people to know about Jordan, and the first one I always like to start with is telling them how Jordan is a safe country, regardless of all the fighting and the wars happening around us,” said Amira.

And while many travellers make the journey to Jordan to visit the iconic Petra, Khatteb and Amira emphasize that there is much more to add to your bucket list.

“You have history. You have excellent food. You have culture, all of it, and add on top, which I always repeat. The warmth and hospitality of Jordanians is something that every traveller needs to experience,” said Khatteb.

The travellers he has met on tour always enjoy walking around and visiting sites but what really leaves a mark in their heart is the warmth of Jordanians, adds Amira.

“It's on us to make them feel comfortable and to show them around, and to educate them. They definitely go back with a different story, a different way of thinking about our region,” he said.

Amira adds the memories he has found travellers to treasure the most have been contributing to locally-ran projects and sharing a cup of tea with a local Jordanian family.

While Khatteb and Wael have a long list of recommendations on what to do in Jordan, they both agree that the most important thing travellers should do is come in with an open heart and mind.

“You will meet lots of people. Maybe they don’t speak English but they will know how to say, ‘Welcome to Jordan.’ No matter where you go … Jordanians are very hospitable people, very friendly people and this is what makes Jordan very different from any other country in the region,” said Khatteb.

Read more stories about travelling to Jordan:

Days in the desert: the best time to visit Jordan

All the best things to do in Amman

Solo travel in Jordan: your how-to guide

**Jordanian culture: travelling ins and outs

How community tourism in Jordan is changing lives

In Jordan, community tourism directly supports women, families, and small communities — turning every trip into a chance to give back and create lasting local impact.

“We do believe that you can change life through travel… We are very proud people here in Jordan and want to help local people, local women, children,” said Khatteb.

According to Khatteb, the team in Jordan worked together to raise $40,000 USD to support Planeterra, an NGO supported by G Adventures aiming to develop and support community tourism around the world.

“We do have — in Jordan — more than 14 Planeterra projects, lots of women got involved and they are able and capable nowadays to educate their children, to send them to schools and also to support their husbands, to make their living,” said Khatteb.

As CEOs, Khatteb and Wael say it’s also their job to show travellers the impact of their visit on local communities and hopefully, encourage them to continue giving back when they travel in the future.

“Some of them have traveled many times with G, and they have seen a lot of those initiatives all over the world, and they are expecting to see it in every country they go to,” said Amira.

“It's not only about travel. You might change someone's life by coming to this country… We do believe that we all can make the world a better place.”

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