LONDON: The number of foreign visitors to the ancient city of Petra in southern Jordan fell by more than 75 percent in June compared with previous years due to the outbreak of fighting between Iran and Israel, and the conflict in Gaza.
The Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority recorded 16,207 foreign visitors in June compared with 68,349 during the same month in 2023 and 53,888 in June 2019.
The authority said on Monday that the number of foreign visitors in the first half of 2025 has fallen sharply. It recorded 259,798 visitors, including 175,510 foreign tourists, compared with 692,595 visitors, including 606,000 foreigners, in the first half of 2023.
Fares Braizat, head of the Board of Commissioners of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority, said that the Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, which began in October 2023, along with hostilities between Iran and Israel in June, has significantly contributed to the sharp decline in foreign tourism to Petra.
Middle East airspace was empty of any flight traffic at times during the 12 days of war in June, as Israel launched airstrikes inside Iran, and Tehran fired missiles and combat drones toward Israeli towns. The US also targeted three nuclear sites in Iran. Although there was no travel alert for Jordan by Western countries, similar warnings were issued for Israel, Iran, and later for Qatar as tensions escalated.
Braizat said that the decline in domestic and Arab tourist numbers to Petra has added to the challenges facing tourism businesses since 2023, leading to a decline in revenue. About 85 percent of Jordan’s population depends on tourism, directly or indirectly, with entry fees to archaeological sites the authority’s primary source of income.
He said that the authority has set up plans to support the tourism sector, with hotels in Petra saying that more than 90 percent of bookings have been canceled, leading to closures and staff layoffs.
Abdullah Hasanat, president of the Petra Hotel Cooperative Association, said that 28 hotels with a total of 1,975 rooms have been forced to close, representing 56 percent of all hotel rooms in the Petra region.
