The Effect of the Passage of the Holy Family Across the Nile and Jordan Rivers on Enhancing the Tourist Twinning between Egypt and Jordan: A Field Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Beni-Suef University, Egypt

2 Higher Institute of Specific Studies - Heliopolis - Cairo - Egypt

Abstract

The study examines the impact of the Holy Family Path in Egypt and Jordan by investing and merging the Nile and Jordan rivers to launch a unique spiritual, doctrinal, and entertaining experience. The study attempts to promote the twinning destination (Egypt-Jordan) as a destination for global Christian pilgrimage through the holy water route across the two rivers. The problem lies in understanding the historical, cultural, and social impacts of the passage of the Holy Family across the Nile and Jordan rivers and investing these impacts to maximize tourism returns economically, culturally, and socially. The study used the descriptive approach to describe the historical religious importance of the Nile and Jordan rivers. It also used the exploratory method to examine the historical impact of the passage of the Holy Family across the two rivers to enhance cultural, religious, and recreational tourism cooperation for the twinning destination to maximize the economic impact of integrating river and religious tourism via an entertaining spiritual experience. The field study, divided into two main parts (experts and specialists in religious and cultural tourism - travelers and Christian pilgrims), demonstrated the results accomplishing the research objectives. The research contributes to the Arab tourism sector by launching the sacred water stream, which enhances the twinning destination in an experience that combines important tourism patterns (doctrinal spiritual tourism and recreational tourism).

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