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.
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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
Turkish police officer dies from gunshot wounds suffered in Istanbul drug raid
ISTANBUL: A police officer died Monday after being shot and seriously wounded during an early morning drug raid in Istanbul, Turkish officials said.
Officer Emre Albayrak died of his wounds in a hospital. He was part of a special operations team carrying out the raid in the Cekmekoy district on Istanbul’s Asian side.
“Our police officer Emre Albayrak, who was seriously injured in a narcotics operation in the Cekmekoy district, could not be saved despite all interventions in the hospital to which he was taken and became a martyr,” Istanbul Governor’s Office said in a statement.
The man who opened fire on police was killed and two other suspects were detained, the office said.
Turkiye has experienced a rise in drug-related crime in recent years. There was a 23 percent rise in drug-related incidents last year compared to 2023, according to a National Police Counter-Narcotics Department report.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a social media post Monday that 970 suspects had been detained in nationwide counter-narcotics operations over the previous week.
Officer Emre Albayrak died of his wounds in a hospital. He was part of a special operations team carrying out the raid in the Cekmekoy district on Istanbul’s Asian side.
“Our police officer Emre Albayrak, who was seriously injured in a narcotics operation in the Cekmekoy district, could not be saved despite all interventions in the hospital to which he was taken and became a martyr,” Istanbul Governor’s Office said in a statement.
The man who opened fire on police was killed and two other suspects were detained, the office said.
Turkiye has experienced a rise in drug-related crime in recent years. There was a 23 percent rise in drug-related incidents last year compared to 2023, according to a National Police Counter-Narcotics Department report.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a social media post Monday that 970 suspects had been detained in nationwide counter-narcotics operations over the previous week.
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