'Number of Petra visitors dropped in January'

AMMAN — Visitors to Petra dropped by 12 per cent in January compared with the same month last year, according to the Petra Archaeological Park (PAP).

A total of 36,275 tourists of different nationalities visited the ancient Nabataean city last month, including 29,247 foreigners, 6,935 Jordanians and 93 official guests and students.

As a result, the site's tourism revenues went down by 18 per cent in January, standing at JD636,608, compared with JD776,301 during the same month in 2013, according to PAP, which attributed the decline to the political unrest witnessed in several neighbouring countries.