UnNews:Jordan aims at British holiday market with new ultrarealistic paintball complex

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4 September 2006

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AMMAN, Jordan -- Citing the explosive success of the three-year-old 'Shock and Awe' paintballing centre in nearby Iraq, the Jordainian tourism ministry has announced a major initiative to attract sporty British and American tourists to Jordan.

"We heard that American and British servicemen on holiday in Iraq were contributing literally dozens of dollars to the Iraqi economy, and we wanted a slice of the action," said a spokesman for the Jordainian government. "The planned paintball centre will make use of the latest technology to replicate exactly the experience of street fighting and open warfare in the streets of our beautiful capital Amman." The action will take place in Amman's much admired Roman amphitheatre, and ringside seats for major bouts are expected to sell for at least $500.

Reports that a number of tourists had been injured in a pilot scheme were played down: "...we are experiencing minor engineering issues and have made every effort to commiserate with the relatives of the lucky first few gamers."

This is only latest in a number of extreme sports centres to open recently in the Middle East, including Iran's Mutate-o-drome ("You too can be a superhero!") and the interfaith drag racing course (bring-your-own tanks, Jeeps and refugee trucks) in the south of Lebanon. President Bush of the USA expressed his hopes that sport might usher in a "new era of peace and stuff" in the historically troubled region.

Meanwhile, Amman's latest tourist attraction is set to expand rapidly.

Sources

• "Gunman fires on Jordan tourists" BBC, September 04, 2006