Petra visitors drop by 32% in January

AMMAN — The number of visitors to Petra dropped by 32 per cent in January compared with the same month last year, according to the Petra Archaeological Park.

A total of 18,785 tourists of different nationalities visited the ancient Nabataean city last month, compared with 29,247 visitors in January 2014.

Statistics also showed a 36 per cent drop in the number of foreign visitors and 16 per cent in Jordanian and Arab tourists.

As a result, the site's revenues from ticket sales went down by 36 per cent in January, standing at JD404,465, compared with JD629,373 in the same month last year.

Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority Chief Commissioner Mohammad Nawafleh described the tourism situation in Petra as "difficult", attributing the "sharp" decline in visitors to the unstable conditions in the region.