Petra Recovery From Corona Pandemic Effects

The head of the Petra Region, Dr. Suleiman Al-Farajat, said that the Pink City witnessed an active tourist movement during the month of May and this June, and that the arrival of the number of visitors to numbers close to 2019 means that Petra tourism has recovered from the effects and repercussions of the Corona pandemic.

Al-Farajat pointed out that “indicators of the stage of tourism recovery in the ancient city appeared, after the influx of foreign, Arab and local visitors since the beginning of this year, during which hotels achieved a qualitative leap in occupancy rates that during the Corona pandemic were zero percent.”

He asserts that “tourism in Petra is experiencing happy days, and the situation is like a season when flowers bloom in spring. He pointed out that this year will be a year of good tidings for tourism in Petra, as Petra receives tourist groups from all over the world.

Al-Farajat added, “We expect a promising tourist season for tourism workers in Petra, and all other businesses such as drivers and service providers, after the increase in the number of tourists in Petra, and for the benefit of the owners of tourist and commercial establishments and local communities, after the government eased the restrictions imposed, following the repercussions of the Corona pandemic.

He pointed out that the diversity of the tourism in Jordan between recreational tourism, shopping tourism, desert, beach, religious and medical tourism, is one of the most important factors that contribute to increasing tourist flows to Jordan, noting that the tourism in Jordan suits different tastes and nationalities.

Al-Farajat pointed out that this year will witness the launch of several projects in Petra, including the heritage village project in the Al-Bayda region, the completion of the tourist street project, the Beida visitor center and adventure cars. 

Among the gaps, according to the statistics issued by the authority, the total number of approved hotel rooms is no less than 900 hotel rooms, a total of 350 hotel rooms have been opened and operated, and work is underway to rehabilitate and equip 550 new hotel rooms in preparation for the tourist season.

He pointed out that Petra is witnessing a demand for investment in the hotel sector in light of the recovery of the tourist season and the investment incentives granted to investors in the hotel accommodation sector.

Dr. Al-Farajat explained that at least 500 new hotel rooms have been submitted by a number of investors, and they are now in the study and evaluation procedures to give them the necessary approvals for construction.

He also stressed that since the beginning of 2022, Petra has witnessed "a gradual return to internal and external tourism", and it is expected that the tourism movement will witness a recovery in the coming days, a significant improvement and the return of the movement to its normal rates, such as the previous years before the pandemic.

It is worth noting that the statistics of the Petra Development and Tourism Development Region Authority revealed that the number of visitors to the ancient city of Petra for the month of May reached 86,322, of all nationalities, and the number of foreign visitors reached 60,640, while the number of Jordanian and Arab visitors reached 25 thousand. And 670 visitors, and compared to the same period in 2019, the number of visitors to Petra reached 87,622 visitors, of all nationalities, including 81,268 foreign visitors and 4,873 Jordanian and Arab visitors