Lonely Planet has unveiled its much-anticipated Best in Travel picks for 2021, reflecting an unprecedented year of disruption in the travel industry, and Amman, Jordan has been singled out as one of the destinations which are helping transform travel experiences.

Amman is recognized as a Welcoming Destination, focusing on diversity and inclusivity.

Once a stopover en-route to the pink sandstone temples of Petra or the desert sands of Wadi Rum, Jordan’s capital Amman has blossomed into the Middle East’s intellectual and artistic center with the help of a creative boom. The changes have attracted thousands of first-time visitors who have been turned into lifelong aficionados of the city thanks in part to the famed Jordanian hospitality.

Amman is the capital and largest city of Jordan and the country’s economic, political and cultural center. With a population of 4,007,526, Amman is the largest city in the Levant region and the sixth-largest city in the Arab world. As well as being home to Jordan’s world famous historic sites like the Citadel, the Roman Theatre that sits in the heart of the “old downtown”, and the Jordan Museum (which houses some of the Dead Sea Scrolls), the city is among the most popular locations in the Arab world for multinational corporations to set up their regional offices, ensuring a modern, multi-cultural city.

“Amman welcomes the majority of our visitors to Jordan and we are very proud of its reputation as an inclusive destination,” said Malia Asfour, Director, Jordan Tourism Board North America. “It is also home to some of our most awe-inspiring historical sites, and is becoming renowned for its culinary and local cultural experiences. As the gateway to the rest of the country, spending time in Amman is a highly recommended part of every trip to Jordan and is often cited as the main reason people wish to return to Jordan again and again.”