Jordan’s world-famous ancient city of Petra has recorded its highest number of visitors in a single day since 2023, offering a strong signal of recovery for the country’s tourism sector after years of disruption.
On December 30, 3,986 visitors entered the UNESCO-listed site, marking Petra’s strongest daily performance in nearly two years, according to official tourism data.
Global travelers return to Petra
International tourists made up the majority of visitors, with 3,723 foreign travelers recorded on the day, alongside 139 Arab visitors, 45 local residents, and 79 Jordanians, figures from the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) show.
Italy emerged as the top source market, sending 736 visitors, followed by Russia, Spain, the United States, and France—highlighting Petra’s broad appeal across European and North American markets.
Visitor numbers approach full-year totals
In the first ten months of 2025, Petra received 453,311 visitors, nearly matching the 457,215 visitors recorded throughout 2024, though still below the more than 1.1 million visitors welcomed in 2023.
Tourism officials noted particularly strong growth during April, September, and October, months that outperformed the same periods in 2024, reflecting improved seasonal demand.
PDTRA Chief Commissioner Fares Al-Braizat attributed the increase to easing regional tensions, stronger government promotion campaigns, and enhanced coordination with security authorities to support visitor access and safety.
Recovery after a challenging period
Petra’s tourism sector experienced a sharp decline in late 2023 following the outbreak of the Gaza conflict. Visitor numbers dropped from 121,420 in October 2023 to 54,349 in November, before falling further to 30,485 in December.
Looking ahead, authorities expect visitor numbers to grow in 2026, driven by increased interest from international tour operators and large group travel.
As part of its long-term strategy, the Petra authority is expanding services designed to appeal to families, aiming to boost both domestic and international family tourism.
Jordan’s tourism outlook improves
Jordan welcomed more than 5.3 million tourists in 2019, generating $5.8 billion in tourism revenue, before the Covid-19 pandemic caused arrivals to plunge by 77% in 2020.
The country surpassed pre-pandemic tourism levels in 2023, welcoming 6.35 million visitors, but growth slowed again in 2024, when arrivals declined by 2.3% year-on-year to 5.1 million, amid renewed regional tensions.
Despite these challenges, tourism authorities reported a 13% increase in arrivals in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, signaling a steady recovery—one that Petra’s latest visitor milestone clearly reflects.