Amman, Dec. 9 (Petra) – A new regional body, the Mediterranean Trails Network (MTN), was officially launched in Amman on Tuesday during a press conference, establishing a specialized association that brings together destination management organizations and institutions focused on hiking routes across the Mediterranean basin, to enhance regional cooperation and advance sustainable, hike-based tourism.

Supported by the French Development Agency and with the participation of Oxfam and the World Bank, the newly formed network includes as founding members the Jordan Trail Association, the Palestinian Heritage Trail, the Lebanon Mountain Trail, and two French partners specialized in rural development.

The MTN seeks to represent leading hiking trails throughout the Mediterranean region, enabling local communities to benefit from economic growth, preserving natural and cultural heritage, and strengthening resilience to climate change.

The launch event unveiled the founding members and presented the network’s shared vision, which emphasizes community-based tourism and highlights the unique natural and cultural heritage linked to the region’s trails.

Co-president of the MTN Omar Saqr said the network’s vision is to position the Mediterranean as a connected space linking people and places through trails that embody the relationship between society, the environment, and shared natural and cultural heritage.

He noted that the MTN provides a collective mechanism to advance coordinated, sustainable approaches to hiking tourism at the regional level.

For his part, co-president George Rishmawi stressed the network’s focus on local impact, adding that linking key trails enables the MTN to attract international support, exchange best practices, and direct resources to local communities, thereby strengthening local economies and preserving the unique identities of the areas involved.

//Petra// AO