JEF discusses tourism condition in Petra city

AMMAN — The Jordan Economic Forum (JEF) has held a dialogue session to assess the status of tourism in Petra city, examining the effects of the current political conditions in the region on tourism in Jordan.  

A JEF statement released on Saturday said that Chief Commissioner of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) Fares Breizat and members of the forum’s board and general assembly attended the session, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

During the session, JEF Chairman Mazen Hmoud stressed the importance of discussing the rose-red city's tourism challenges amidst regional developments.

He highlighted the forum’s commitment to shedding light on issues with a direct impact on the national economy and proposed enhancing collaboration between Petra and AlUla in Saudi Arabia.  

Breizat outlined the severe decline in tourism to Petra, noting a 74 per cent drop in foreign visitors in 2024 compared to the previous year. 

This decline has significantly affected PDTRA's budget and the livelihoods of local communities dependent on tourism, he noted.  

The hotel sector was among the hardest hit, with 14 hotels still closed and 478 workers unemployed despite efforts to promote domestic tourism through programmes like Urdun Jannah. 

Breizat stressed the need to diversify tourism products and markets to avoid reliance on specific types of tourism, such as cultural, medical and religious tourism.  

He pointed to adventure tourism as an opportunity to position Jordan as a diverse global destination, while also calling for better promotion of the country’s 52 Islamic sites and five Christian pilgrimage locations recognised by the Vatican.

Recent efforts in Petra, such as organising the first prayer at the Byzantine church with the Vatican ambassador in attendance, demonstrate the potential to attract visitors from new markets like Latin America and Asia. 

Breizat also highlighted the potential of stargazing and meditation tourism, noting that 60 per cent of Petra’s visitors come from Europe. 

He identified the Indian market as a "promising prospect," particularly for Islamic and Christian pilgrimage tours and wedding tourism, which could generate significant revenue.