October 4, 2026
In a step aimed at integrating the shared spiritual heritage between Lebanon and Jordan into interconnected tourist and religious itineraries, Jordanian Minister of Tourism Imad Hijazin, accompanied by Lebanese Minister of Tourism Laura Lahoud, conducted a field tour yesterday, Friday, that included a number of the most prominent religious sites in Lebanon. This tour comes within the framework of an official visit by Hijazin to Beirut at the invitation of Lahoud, which will last for three days, to learn about the pioneering Lebanese experience in organizing Hajj itineraries and religious tourism and to benefit from it locally.
The field tour included prominent stations, including the Monastery of Qazhaya, Bekaaqfra, Annaya, and the hermitage of Saint Charbel, where the two ministers met with a number of fathers and monks, and were briefed in detail on the mechanisms for organizing the most prominent religious paths in Lebanon, especially the “Lebanese Mountain Path” and the path designated for Saint Charbel.
On the sidelines of the visit, Minister Hijazin extended an official invitation to Lebanon, a state and a church, to participate in the major celebration that Jordan is preparing to organize in 2030 on the occasion of the two thousandth anniversary of the baptism of Jesus Christ at the “Baptism” site on the eastern bank of the Jordan River. Hijazin stressed his country’s desire for Lebanon to be a “major part” of these activities, noting the anticipated role of the Maronite Church and the Lebanese diaspora, especially in light of the project to build a Maronite church on a plot of land allocated for it in the vicinity of the baptism site.
The Jordanian minister explained that his country is developing an integrated path for Christian pilgrimage that includes more than 34 sites, stressing the importance of benefiting from the Lebanese experience to develop joint paths capable of attracting pilgrims and those interested in religious history from all over the world.
For her part, Minister Laura Lahoud confirmed that the visit of her Jordanian counterpart embodies the depth of the shared spiritual ties between the two countries, pointing to the ongoing preparations for the celebrations at the Baptism Site, marking two thousand years since the baptism of Jesus Christ. Lahoud pointed out that religious diversity represents one of the most prominent strengths that distinguish Lebanon, Jordan and the entire region, considering that faith remains a close link to the land and a motivation for millions of believers to visit monuments related to their spiritual history.
This visit comes as a dedication to the growing bilateral cooperation between Beirut and Aman in the religious tourism sector and Christian pilgrimage routes, coinciding with Jordanian preparations for the 2030 celebration, and the two countries’ efforts to invest in their common spiritual heritage in attracting international visitors and pilgrims.
