AMMAN — The ancient city of Petra has welcomed approximately 291,000 visitors during the first seven months of 2025, with foreigners making up the majority, according to official data cited by the Al Mamlaka TV.

 

Foreign tourists accounted for 193,061 visitors, representing 66 per cent of the total, with Jordanians and Arab tourists making up the remaining 34 per cent with 78,889 and 19,219 visitors respectively.

 

In July alone, Petra recorded 29,000 visitors, according to official figures, with tourism in the ancient city declining by 61 per cent in 2025 compared to last year.

 

Figures from the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) show that Petra has attracted nearly 9.8 million visitors since 2010. Visitor numbers peaked in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 1.14 million tourists and, in 2023, tourism rose to 1.17 million until the outbreak of the war on Gaza in October, after which the numbers plummeted.

 

Last year, visitor numbers fell sharply to 457,215, a 61 per cent decrease compared to the same period in 2023, according to PDTRA figures.

 

PDTRA Chairman Fares Braizat said on Sunday that the ancient city has witnessed a sharp decline in tourist numbers, leading to the closure of 32 hotels, amounting to 2,000 rooms, and the loss of 700 jobs.

 

“Petra is one of the most affected tourist sites by the decline in visitor numbers due to the war on Gaza and its repercussions on the region,” Braizat told members of the Lower House committees.

 

He added that approximately 38,000 residents of Petra rely either directly or indirectly on the tourism industry, and have been hit hard by what he described as a “crisis.”

 

To mitigate the impact, tourism-related professions have been temporarily exempted from licensing requirements, and some tenants have been relieved of rent dues for 2024, Braizat noted.

 

Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) Director General Abdel Razzak Arabiyat echoed the concerns, saying there has been “almost a complete decline of tourism in Jordan” following the outbreak of war in Gaza.

 

“Petra, which heavily relies on tourists from Europe and the United States, has been particularly affected,” he said.

 

“The repercussions are felt daily, especially by those working in tourism services,” Arabiyat told Al Mamlaka TV. He cited plummeting numbers of Western visitors, which have negatively impacted hotels, tour guides, travel agencies, and transport operators in the Petra region.

 

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Saturday announced a new set of tours under the "Urdunnah Jannah" programme aimed at revitalizing Petra’s tourism sector. The initiative will organize overnight stays in the city as part of a broader review of the programme in light of regional developments.

 

The ministry said the new tour package, funded with JD1.5 million from the programme budget, in addition to contributions from participants, is part of ongoing efforts to support local communities and boost tourism recovery in Petra.