AMMAN — The ancient city of Petra is on
the verge of reaching a significant milestone, approaching the
one-million-visitor mark for the second time in its tourism history, following
its previous achievement in 2019. During the period from January to September
2023, a staggering 967,883 tourists from various nationalities have explored
this captivating city, the Jordan News Agency, Petra reported.
اضافة اعلان
The
rose-red city has witnessed a
remarkable surge in visitor numbers, with a staggering 71 percent increase
compared to the same period last year when 564,566 people visited this historic
site. In September alone, an impressive total of 116,935 visitors from across
the globe
ventured to Petra, with the majority being foreign nationals,
totaling around 96,755 visitors. Arab visitors accounted for 4,862, while
Jordanian visitors reached 14,711, including 3,449 visitors through the
"
Urdun Jannah" program.
According to statistics released by the
Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), September saw a
remarkable 25 percent rise in visitor numbers compared to the corresponding
period in 2019 when Petra achieved its first-ever "million visitors"
milestone.
A 42 percent increase compared to the
previous year
Furthermore, this represents a
remarkable 42 percent increase compared to the previous year. The PDTRA
emphasized the growing popularity of the
rose-red city of Petra as a
sought-after tourist destination for travelers from various nationalities,
especially Europeans. Moreover, it highlighted its ongoing efforts to preserve
the archaeological site as a world heritage site while ensuring sustainable
tourism practices that benefit both the local and official sectors in the
region.
Currently, the area boasts 63
operational hotels and camps, including six five-star and six four-star hotels,
with a combined total of approximately 3,245 rooms accommodating 5,477 beds,
according to the PDTRA. Additionally, it revealed a burgeoning interest in
hotel investments, particularly from the local community in Petra.
To support this, the authority has
provided facilitations for over 13 new hotels across different categories,
further enhancing Petra's global competitiveness.
Petra’s Cultural Village
The authority's statement highlighted its
strategic plans to diversify tourism offerings in the region and reduce
seasonality through various initiatives and projects. One noteworthy endeavor
is the
Cultural Village, which hosted an array of concerts this year featuring
prominent Arab artists and internationally acclaimed musical groups. These
efforts aim to enhance the overall visitor experience and solidify Petra's
position as a premier global destination.
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