AMMAN — Aqaba's hotels received around 658,000 guests during the first nine months of 2026, down 7.5 per cent from the same period last year, with occupancy rates averaging 45.2 per cent, according to the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA). 

 

ASEZA Head of the Data and Tourism Services Department Murad Shehadeh said that the average length of stay increased to 2.2 nights during January–September, compared with 2.1 nights in the same period of 2025, marking a 4.8 per cent rise.

 

Shehadeh said longer stays would help increase visitor spending and boost economic returns from tourism, Al Mamlaka TV reported.

 

He added that Aqaba recently received the Astoria Grande cruise ship, carrying around 670 tourists, most of them Russian, with the vessel scheduled to stay overnight in the city.

 

The overnight stay provides local tourism and commercial businesses with greater opportunities to benefit from visitor spending, particularly restaurants, tour guides, transport operators and tourist attractions, he said.

 

Shehadeh also noted that Aqaba received the Aroya cruise ship in 2026, carrying around 3,400 tourists.

 

He said ASEZA is working to reduce seasonality in the tourism sector by strengthening air connectivity and diversifying the city's tourism offering.

 

Flights on the Riyadh and Abu Dhabi routes have been launched, while efforts are under way to introduce a direct route between Moscow and Aqaba, with flights expected to begin on December 20 in cooperation with the Jordan Tourism Board and Royal Jordanian.

 

The authority is also working to promote conference tourism, sports and medical events, specialised tourism and adventure tourism, while capitalising on Aqaba's strategic location and proximity to Wadi Rum and Petra, Shehadeh added.

 

He said these efforts, alongside increased cruise ship arrivals, are expected to boost visitor numbers, hotel occupancy rates and average length of stay, supporting recovery in Aqaba's tourism sector.