Gov’t offers free entry to archaeological sites during Eid; industry leaders pessimistic

AMMAN — The government’s decision to offer Jordanians and residents free access to archaeological sites during the five-day Eid Al Adha holiday, which starts Wednesday, did not impress tourism sector leaders.

Industry leaders interviewed by The Jordan Times said they expected the recent Cabinet decision to exempt Jordanians and residents from entry fees during the holiday to have minimal impact.

The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Nayef Fayez as saying on Thursday that the move was intended to promote domestic tourism and thus boost the national economy.  The minister noted that foreign residents intending to benefit from the exemption should show a valid residency permit at entry points.

However, Khaled Nawafleh, president of the Petra Hotels Association, was not as optimistic. Nawafleh said he believed that the decision to have “zero” impact on the tourism movement. 

“Jordanians can enter archaeological sites for a very nominal amount, paying as less as JD1 to see Petra, for example [foreigners pay JD50]. Entry fees are not what keep citizens away from archaeological sites, but their lack of interest in such attractions,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone on Thursday.

Nawafleh explained that Jordanians prefer “places where there is water”, especially during the holiday. 

“That is why they flock to Aqaba and the Dead Sea during vacations and not to places like Petra,” he noted.

In almost all previous Eid and other holidays, hotels in the Dead Sea and Aqaba were fully booked, while Turkey and Egypt’s Red Sea resorts have been the top choices for Jordanian vacationers. 

While citizens can stay overnight at one of Petra’s hotels at “preferential” prices during the eid holiday — JD30 per night at a three-star hotel — Nawafleh expressed his pessimism over the hoped tourism flow in his area.

Even if the plan was feasible, it is too late, the sector leader said.

“The new decision was made when many Jordanians had already made reservations to spend the holiday outside the country”. 

President of the Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents, Shaher Hamdan, also believes that citizens are more interested in destinations where they can get “entertainment” rather than historical sites and that they prefer the Dead Sea and Aqaba, especially in the hot season.   

On the other hand, Chief Commissioner of Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority Mohammad Nawafleh said the free access to historical sites would encourage “some” citizens to visit them, particularly those who have never been there.

“Even if slightly, I believe the decision would encourage more citizens to explore their country,” he added.