The US-Israeli war against Iran leaves Jordan’s Petra almost devoid of tourists | In Pictures Stories

Ukrainian tourist Ruslana Novak and her friend had the ancient Jordanian city of Petra almost to themselves as they stood in front of its massive pink sandstone carvings.

Since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran at the end of February, the famous Rose City has been in ruins, its usual throngs of foreign tourists gone.

“Of course, we heard about the war… It’s not difficult because I’m from Ukraine, and we know about the war,” Novak, an insurance agent, told the AFP news agency.

“This country is surrounded by warring countries, but Jordan is… very calm,” he said, describing it as safe and beautiful.

At the entrance to the place, souvenir seller Khalid al-Saidat and his friends sat in front of their stall, cigarettes dangling from their lips. Donkeys and horses that usually carry tourists in the valley stood empty.

The incident, he said, shows the “fall of tourism” in Jordan.

“The war in Gaza caused 80 percent of the 90 percent to fall in tourism”, while the Iran conflict reduced the number of foreign tourists “to almost zero”.

“We open every day not knowing if we will make enough money to survive,” he added.

Tourism accounts for 14 percent of Jordan’s gross domestic product, according to government figures, with 60,000 people directly employed and another 300,000 dependents. Last year, more than 7 million visitors generated a total of $7.8bn.

Beyond Petra, Jordan is home to other major attractions, including the moonlit Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea and the famous archaeological site of Jerash.

The year started strong, “with 112,000 foreign visitors in the first two months, which is very good”, said Adnan al-Sawair, chairman of the board of commissioners of the Petra Tourism Authority.

“But everything changed with the war,” he said. The results were immediate, with the number of visitors to Petra in March and April dropping to between 28,000 and 30,000.

The ban has been so severe that some hotels are considering closing.

The authorities have implemented a policy to promote tourism, but the results are still “insignificant”, said Sawair, as the sector is highly dependent on foreign tourist groups.

Since the start of the war, debris from drones and missiles have fallen on the kingdom, which does not have foreign military equipment but has a limited border with several countries under a defense and cooperation agreement.

The Jordanian military said 281 Iranian missiles and drones had been shot down in the country since the start of the war until early April, most of them intercepted.

Before the war, travel agency booking calendars were full, according to the national agency. Then they suddenly emptied, causing problems for 1,400 licensed operators.

Faced with a lack of customers, souvenir seller Ibrahim al-Atmeh packed his goods earlier than usual.

“We were hoping for a good spring season, but … our hopes are gone,” the 31-year-old said.