Khaberni - The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Petra Region Authority for Tourism and Development, Adnan Al-Sawaeer, stated that the rate of hotel bookings in Petra for the upcoming April does not exceed 10% of the total hotel capacity, while the cancellation rate reached 100% during the current March, due to regional circumstances and their impact on tourist movement.
Al-Sawaeer added in a statement to "Al-Mamlaka" on Wednesday, that Petra started the year 2026 with promising indicators in the number of tourists, but these numbers declined later to large and zero levels at times due to regional tensions, confirming that the city is one of the most affected areas due to its economic community primarily relying on tourism.
He explained that the authority, in cooperation with the Tourism Promotion Authority, followed alternatives to attract foreign tourists residing in the Gulf countries and Egypt by land, in addition to reducing the entrance tickets to the archaeological site for non-Jordanians from 50 to 25 dinars to encourage Jordanian tourism agencies to attract more visitors and face the decrease in tourism demand.
Al-Sawaeer confirmed that the authority has taken a series of preventive measures to protect the workers in the tourism sector and maintain their job security, including activating domestic tourism programs like "Our Jordan is a Paradise" and attracting foreign tourists by land from neighboring countries.
He referred to the establishment of a joint operation room that includes representatives from the Petra Region Authority and the tourism sector to monitor developments in the tourism scene as they happen and to develop urgent solutions to support the sustainability of the sector, with the operation continuing even after the crisis ends.
He emphasized that the interest of the tourism sector and the local communities in Petra is a priority, confirming the continued coordination with government agencies to take the necessary measures to mitigate the effects of the tourism decline and support the workers in the sector.
He added that the accommodation capacity in the city's hotels reaches about 5,000 rooms, confirming the government's and Ministry of Tourism's interest in supporting the tourism sector in Jordan and enhancing Petra's position as a key tourist destination.
