AMMAN — The ancient city of Petra recorded a rise in visitor numbers, registering its highest daily total since 2023, a sign of recovery in tourism activity and renewed confidence in the sector.

 

Official figures released by the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) showed that the archaeological site welcomed 3,986 visitors in a single day, including 3,723 foreign tourists, 139 Arab visitors, 45 residents and 79 Jordanians, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

 

PDTRA Chairman Fares Breizat said the figure represents an important and positive indicator of the gradual recovery of tourism activity in Petra.

 

He noted that the overwhelming majority of visitors were foreign tourists, reflecting renewed confidence among global tourism markets in the site as one of the world's most significant destinations.

 

Breizat noted that the largest groups of visitors included Italians with 736 tourists, followed by Russians with 404, Spaniards with 373, Americans with 361, French with 229 and British with 212. Visitors also arrived from India with 146 tourists, Bulgaria with 116, Indonesia with 102 and Germany with 100, highlighting the diversity of source markets and the return of Petra to international tourism itineraries.

 

Breizat attributed the improvement in visitor numbers to the cessation of the Israeli war on Gaza, alongside integrated efforts that included intensive tourism promotion, ongoing coordination with relevant authorities and improved visitor services, while maintaining the highest standards of safety and security within the site.

 

He also pointed to increasingly positive indicators of growth in family tourism, whether through organised foreign tour groups or Arab and Jordanian visitors.

 

He also noted that the authority is giving particular attention to this segment and aims to build on it by developing services, upgrading facilities and enhancing the overall visitor experience in ways that meet family needs and encourage longer stays in Petra.

 

Breizat expressed optimism about the coming period, expecting visitor numbers to continue rising during January and February and through to the end of the next tourism season, with the return of global tourism programmes and increased demand from tour groups.

 

He also stressed the authority's commitment to supporting the tourism sector and strengthening its role in the economic and social development of local communities in Petra.