AMMAN: Jordan has seen a decrease in the number of tourists visiting its famed ancient city of Petra and other sites since the Gaza war began in October 2023, according to officials.
Although Jordan does not border the Gaza Strip, it has been among several countries across the region impacted by the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Figures released by the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority and reported Monday by the official Al-Mamlaka TV showed the number of visitors slashed by 61 percent, from 1,174,137 in 2023 to 547,215 this year.
“We feel the repercussions of the aggression on Gaza every day, especially for providers of tourism services,” Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat, the director of the national tourism board, told Al-Mamlaka on Friday.
He said incoming tourism from Europe and North America has hit a record low, dealing a devastating blow to the hotel industry and tour operators around Petra, in Jordan’s south.
According to figures from the Petra tourism authority carried by official media, 32 hotels have had to shut down and nearly 700 people have lost their jobs.
Petra, famous for its stunning temples hewn from rose-pink cliff faces, is a UN World Heritage site.
The Jordanian economy relies on revenues from the kingdom’s tourism sector, which accounts for 14 percent of gross domestic product.
Jordan sees tourism slump over Gaza war
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Jordan sees tourism slump over Gaza war
- “We feel the repercussions of the aggression on Gaza every day, especially for providers of tourism services,” director of the national tourism board said
- 32 hotels have had to shut down and nearly 700 people have lost their jobs
Red Cross transfers 8 Palestinians from Israeli detention to Gaza
- They were taken across the Karm Abu Salem border crossing to Shuhada Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, where they were reunited with their families
LONDON: The International Committee of the Red Cross transferred eight Palestinians from Israeli detention to the Gaza Strip on Monday.
The organization took them across the Karm Abu Salem border crossing to Shuhada Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah and helped reunite them with their families.
The Red Cross has been unable to visit Palestinian detainees in Israeli detention centers since October 2023, as a result of which the fate and location of many detainees from Gaza were unknown, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
The Red Cross said that according to the principles of international humanitarian law, detainees must be treated humanely, held in proper conditions and allowed to have contact with their families.
Israel is holding about 9,245 Palestinian prisoners in jails, including 358 held without charge or trial under administrative detention, according to Jerusalem-based rights group HaMoked.
