petra tourism development region authority

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Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority

Country: Jordan

Website: https://pdtra.gov.jo

Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) is independent financial and administrative Authority, founded in 2009, that aims to develop the region, economically, socially, culturally, and as a tourist destination, as well as contribute to local community development. PDTRA is managed by a Board of Commissioners that consists of five members including the President and Vice President and a member who is authorized to manage the Petra Reserve. The members are appointed by the Prime Ministry and approved by His Majesty King Abdullah II.

Vision: A national integrated model for development and investment work.

Mission: Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) is a governmental national institution that aims to develop the Petra region economically, socially and culturally and contribute to the development of the local community through the management of the region and the preservation and discover of urban heritage, develop the tourism process and provide proper investment environment to create sustainable development.

PDTRA objectives:

• Administrate and supervise the Petra Region.Manage and develop the tourism industry in Petra and coordinate with national and international entities that are related to the economic sector.
• Provide a desirable investment environment to engage in various economic activities.
• Contribute to the development of comprehensive strategies for the protection, maintenance and restoration of archaeological sites, in coordination with the Department of Antiquities.  
• Identify the areas and sites of heritage value in the region, which can be used for tourism purposes.   
• Enhance the social status for the local committee and private institutions, and provide support to the traditional crafts projects and the tourism industry.
• Protect the environment in the region, including water resources, natural resources and biodiversity, by setting the standards, rules and regulations.
• Develop plans for human resource development."

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• Phone : +962 321 560 44

• Petra District - Ma'an Governorate - Jordan

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Terms and Condtions

Visiting the World Heritage Site of Petra: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

Health Pass (Pass Sanitaire) Required

The Jordanian government has now made it legally necessary to show a Vaccine Pass (i.e. you have to be fully vaccinated) to access places of leisure and culture. Know more.   https://www.gateway2jordan.gov.jo/

Buy Your World Heritage Site of Petra Entrance Tickets in Advance

Buy Your Tickets on the World Heritage Site of Petra Website!

Go to the World Heritage Site of Petra Website and make your Petra reservations by buying your tickets online for a specific date, and print it on your home printer.   You'll pay the same price as you would at the Petra’s ticket window.   When you arrive at the World Heritage Site of Petra, you skip the ticket line, although you'll still need to go through a couple of security checks and perhaps wait for the club cart.

Buying tickets online

·          Because your e-tickets have your name on them, please make sure you add the names of everyone you’ll be coming with. Issued tickets are non-refundable, non-exchangeable and non-transferable. all e-tickets valid for use within 8 months following date of purchase.

·          Check your chosen date before confirming your purchase! Once you’ve booked them, you cannot change or exchange your e-tickets. All purchases are final.

·          Make sure you keep the e-mail confirmation of your purchase , and your username and password to our online ticket office, so that you can come back later if you need to.

Contact the Customer Service if you have any questions or concerns  

Your ticket

·          Please make sure that your e-ticket can be read. We recommend printing your e-tickets out at home before you visit the World Heritage Site of Petra or even arrive in Jordan. Each e-ticket must be printed on a sheet of A4 paper, blank on both sides.

·          You can also show your e-ticket on your smartphone , as long as we can scan the barcode.

·          Each e-ticket bears the name of its owner. Remember to bring ID for your entire group , including children . We may ask to see your ID, as well as any supporting documents for reduced rates (disability registration) Children under 12 years are free of charge.

·          Petra pass and Jordan pass ticket doesn’t include the Night event "Petra by Night"

·          Jordan pass ticket holders should submit their ticket in the ticket office for verification.

·          Daylight ticket is required to attend the Petra by night show.

Everything you wanted to know about your ticket

RULES FOR VISITING THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE OF PETRA

These Rules, which have been produced by Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority applies to visitors of the World Heritage Site of Petra.

ACCESS TO THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE:

·          The World Heritage Site of Petra is open every day of the year from 06:00 to 16:00 (from 06:00 to 18:00 in summer). The sale of tickets ends 45 minutes before the monument closes. The archaeological site evacuation will begin at sunset 60 minutes after closure. Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority may change these times without notice for extraordinary events, bad weather, crowding or force majeure.

·          Entry to and circulation in the World Heritage Site of Petra when it is open to the public is by valid ticket only (e- Ticket, paper ticket or badge issued by Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority).

·          All types of purchased tickets are non-refundable, non-exchangeable and non-transferable and determine duration of access to the World Heritage Site of Petra. Each ticket allows site visit and must be kept until the end of the visit, all e-tickets are valid for use during 8 months following the date of issuance. as per the following price categories ( Children under 12 years are free of charge):

1.         One day visit (50 JOD): Fees for the accommodated visitor: Visitors who stays at least one night in Jordan.

2.        Two days visit (55 JOD): Fees for the accommodated visitor: Visitor who stays at least one night in Jordan.

3.        Three days visit (60 JOD): Fees for the accommodated visitor: Visitor who stays at least one night in Jordan.

4.       One day visit (90 JOD): Fees for non-accommodated visitors.

5.        Jordanian and residents (1JOD): Jordanian must show their ID, residents must show a valid residence card issued for 1 year at least.

·          TICKET PURCHASE, ISSUE AND VALIDITY: The tickets sold at the World Heritage Site of Petra ticket desk, booths, or website are for immediate access. The date and time of issue are printed on the ticket and are the reference used to allow access to the archaeological site.

·          Ticket prices are those applying at the purchase date and are shown on the Website. They are displayed at the World Heritage Site of Petra ticket desk, booths, or website at (http://www.visitpetra.jo/ or https://petrapass.jo). The ticket desk, booths, or website may request presentation of proof before issuing tickets.

·          Tickets may be purchased at the ticket booths in cash, or credit card in Jordanian Dinar (JOD) only, the ticket desk, booths, or website will issue a receipt if requested when you make the payment.

·          Tickets are valid only for the period printed on them. They cannot be returned, refunded or exchanged. Tickets cannot be resold to third parties. However, all complaints must be addressed to [email protected] Petra Development & Tourism Region may refuse access to the World Heritage Site of Petra to any holder of a Ticket purchased unlawfully (from a third party not authorized to resell Tickets). These tickets must be returned to the ticket booths representatives, without compensation lost or stolen tickets will not be refunded and no copies will be issued.

·         Riding donkeys, mules up the steep paths are dangerous; ridding those animals inside the archaeological site is under your responsibilities.

·          You can book a licensed guide upon arrival inside the visitor center only, Some locals may offer you a private tours, and/or transportation using private pickups it is illegal and they are not allowed to enter the archaeological site.

·          Gulf cart is the only legal transportation from the visitor center to the treasury (15 JOD one way 25 JOD two ways) and you can book your seat upon arrival at the visitor center.

·          Some locals may offer you to ride a horse or carriages for free, it is not! tip is ‘mandatory’ you will have many and repeating offers along the road towards the Siq, make sure that you agree on the price in advance.

·          Some locals inside the archaeological site may offer you guided tours to dangerous viewpoints, or sleeping inside the archaeological site, you will have many and repeating offers along the road, mentioned activities are completely prohibited according to the law. Licensed guide is the only authorized person who can arrange your visit to the archaeological site.

·          Rocks, pottery shards or broken pieces of monuments are part of Petra’s treasures buying them encourages behavior that is damaging the archaeological site.

·          No objects that by their purpose or characteristics present a risk to the safety of persons, facilities or the monument may be brought into areas open to the public. Such objects include: weapons and munitions, explosive, inflammable and volatile substances, blade and club-like weapons that could pose a danger to the public and personnel, tools (especially cutters, screwdrivers, pliers, etc.), excessively heavy, cumbersome or nauseating objects, excessively large parcels or cases, climbing equipment (especially for bungee jumping or parachuting) or any publicity material of any kind, non-foldable children’s push-chairs, animals, for persons certified as handicapped, excessive quantities of drink or food (at the discretion of the security officers). Please note that the World Heritage Site of Petra does not have left luggage or cloakroom facilities.

·          Visitors must behave correctly towards the World Heritage Site of Petra personnel and other visitors. The following are prohibited: walking barefoot, wearing anything that might disrupt public order, lying on benches, demonstrating and displaying banners.

·          Climbing in the World Heritage Site of Petra in any place and using any means is prohibited,   * jump from any place and using any means,   * thrown anything from the monuments.

·          entering areas not open to the public (personnel areas, machine rooms, closed staircases or anywhere marked [no entry],   * displaying banners of any kind, demonstrating, throwing flares and similar items,   * holding group picnics,   * making inscriptions or graffiti of any kind, * interrupting public circulation and blocking passages and exits, particularly by sitting on the stairs, * throwing paper or rubbish on the floor, sticking chewing gum, spitting on the ground or over the balustrades,   * leaving, even for just a few moments, any personal item unattended,   * leaving children unattended, * begging, engaging in any commercial activity: publicity, propaganda or solicitation.

·          Security checks are carried out before entry to the World Heritage Site of Petra. For security and safety reasons, visitors will be asked to open their bags and packages and to show or allow inspection of their contents at entry and in any other place on the site when required by personnel and security officers.

·          Abandoned objects that appear to present a danger to the World Heritage Site of Petra may be destroyed immediately without notice by the competent units.

·          In the event of severe crowding, unrest, strike or anything that might compromise the safety of persons or property, all or part of the World Heritage Site of Petra may be closed at any time during the day or opening hours may be changed.

·          Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority accepts no liability for: theft (pickpockets) or any loss or damage suffered during visits, breakdown or shut-down of means of ascent or technical equipment, restricted access to particular areas or partial closure of the monument by Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority or any authorized administrative or public authority for reasons of safety, maintenance, or bad weather.

·          PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY, DRONES RECORDING AND SURVEYS: Professional audio and/or visual recordings of personnel and the public shall require the formal agreement of both Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority and the persons concerned. Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority accepts no liability in the event of violation of these requirements.

·          Professional photography, filming and the recording of radio and television programs are subject to special rules. Permission to do the above must be requested from Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority in advance and in writing. Written permits must be produced at all World Heritage Site of Petra controls.  

·          Visitor surveys and opinion polls must be authorized in advance by Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority in writing.  

·          LOST AND FOUND: Visitors should check they have left no personal effects behind in the World Heritage Site of Petra. Lost and forgotten objects must be registered with by Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority reception in the visitor center. Objects found will be kept for fifteen (15) days from their receipt by the visitor center reception, during which time they may be claimed and recovered by their owners. Objects found but not reclaimed by the end of that period will be sent to Lost and Found at the police station in the visitor center.   Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority accepts no liability for objects lost in the World Heritage Site of Petra. Perishables, items of no value or in very bad conditions (wet, dirty or ill smelling) will be destroyed each evening after closure.  

·          COMPLAINTS AND DISPUTES: Complaints concerning terms of visits must be made on the spot so that a solution can be found. Complaints concerning Ticket purchase, issue or validity - Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority will consider only claims concerning Tickets that have been sold at World Heritage Site of Petra.

-No refund applies in the event of closure of participating locations for public holidays or unforeseen events, or free entrance days.

-No refund applies for un-used tickets.

-All sales are final and no refunds allowed.

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Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority

Explore further.

Petra development tourism Region Authority is a legal, financial and administrative independent Authority, founded in 2009 and aims to develop the region touristy, economically, socially, culturally, and contribute to local community development.

Enhanced capacity of government and Civil Society organisations (CSOs) to prevent, respond to and mitigate natural and man-made disaster.

Enhancing Institutional Capacities to reduce Disaster Risk and to integrate Climate Change in the region which includes: 1-Integrated Risk Assessment 2-Setting up an Early Warning System for Flash Floods 3-Petra Neighborhood Disaster Volunteers 4-Making Petra Resilient Citys .. Petra Is getting reading

Eng. Hussein Abbas Alhasanat

https://www.preventionweb.net http://www.jo.undp.org

Integrated Risk assessment for Wadi Mousa City in Petra

Setting-up an Early Warning System for Flash Flood

Building capacities of local communities, schools, local NGO's

Reduce the underlying risk factors by land use planning in the area and constructing dams and improving water channels and culverts, building codes, strengthening laws and regulations.

Policy, technical and institutional capacities and mechanisms for disaster risk management, with a disaster risk reduction perspective are limited.

Petra Neighborhood Disaster Volunteers

1-Integrated Risk Assessment project is being implemented in Petra nowadays (Nov 2012-July 2013) 2-Setting-up an Early Warning System for Flash Floods is being implemented in Petra nowadays (Jan-Sept 2013) 3-Disaster Risk Reduction Unit has been established in PDTRA - Directorate of Strategic Planning & Research

The Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (SFVC) online platform allows stakeholders to inform the public about their work on DRR. The SFVC online platform is a useful toolto know who is doing what and where for the implementation of the Sendai Framework, which could foster potential collaboration among stakeholders. All stakeholders (private sector, civil society organizations, academia, media, local governments, etc.) working on DRR can submit their commitments and report on their progress and deliverables.

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Press release

UNESCO, PDTRA and DoA celebrate the first ever officially endorsed Petra Integrated Management Plan

The first Petra Integrated Management Plan (IMP) was officially endorsed and launched during a ceremony held under the patronage of H.E. Mrs. Majd Shweikeh, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities. It is the first management plan to be officially endorsed after the inscription of the site on the World Heritage List and the culmination of a long-term partnership between the UNESCO Amman office, the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) and the Department of Antiquities (DoA).

Since 2015, the PDTRA has partnered with UNESCO and the DoA working towards the development of the Plan. This participatory and consultative process initially began with the elaboration of a road map for the identification of possible shortfalls in previous planning initiatives and progressed to encompass the preparation of the plan. The Plan is the result of the collective contributions of several stakeholders, ranging from the local community to academia and the Government, using an inclusive process.

The choice of an integrated, sustainable and participatory approach to heritage preservation has ensured the success of this strategic initiative, merging the often-differing requirements of tourism at the site, local community engagement and heritage conservation and protection. The PDTRA will now lead the implementation of the Plan over the next five years, in accordance with the action plan designed. Capitalizing on joint efforts, PDTRA will be able to implement the Plan in accordance with its key policies, building a strong sense of ownership. H.E. Shweikeh addressed participants and expressed her gratitude.

Speeches were followed by an informative video illustrating the process of developing the plan, with a subsequent presentation of the management plan by the concerned Technical Team members. The event concluded with a musical performance at the Petra Museum, followed by a reception.

Petra was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. The preservation of this site is a key component of the technical support provided by UNESCO to the national authorities in charge of the conservation and management of Jordan's extraordinary heritage.

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The Coronavirus Crisis

'1st time to see it like this': petra tourism workers long for visitors to return.

Tour guide Mohammad Awwad by the Treasury in Petra, Jordan's biggest tourist destination. Moises Saman for NPR hide caption

Tour guide Mohammad Awwad by the Treasury in Petra, Jordan's biggest tourist destination.

In the ancient city of Petra, Jordan's best-known tourist destination, bird song echoes against the multicolored rock and the elaborate monuments instead of the din of tour groups and souvenir sellers.

The coronavirus pandemic has done what war did not — bring this Middle Eastern country's vital tourism industry to a dramatic halt, and with it, the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers.

"This is so strange — it is the first time to see it like this," says tour guide Mohammad Awwad, who had foreign tourists to lead through Petra even with war raging next door in Iraq in 2003. On March 15, Jordan closed archaeological sites and banned visitors from entering the country as it prepared its lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Awadallah Suleiman, a Sudanese migrant worker taking care of an empty souvenir shop on the road from Amman to Petra. The coronavirus pandemic has brought Jordan's vital tourism industry to a dramatic halt, and with it, the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers. Moises Saman for NPR hide caption

Awadallah Suleiman, a Sudanese migrant worker taking care of an empty souvenir shop on the road from Amman to Petra. The coronavirus pandemic has brought Jordan's vital tourism industry to a dramatic halt, and with it, the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers.

Walking through the long, narrow passage between 300-foot-high canyon walls, it's so quiet you can hear the flutter of birds' wings.

At a cafe facing the Treasury, an elaborate colonnaded mausoleum carved into the rose-colored rock where tourists normally pose with camels, hungry cats jump up on empty tables and chairs. A hawk wheels high above the striated rock as the sun comes up behind the mountains. Sparrows hop along the gravel paths usually trod by tourists.

Most souvenir-shop owners have left their wares sitting on tables, as if they meant to come back any minute. Earrings dangle from a plastic stand next to an overturned sign advertising silver and soft drinks. Shelves open to the elements hold hundreds of bottles filled with colored sand artfully arranged in the shapes of camels and mountains.

An amphitheater on the grounds of Petra. Moises Saman for NPR hide caption

An amphitheater on the grounds of Petra.

Petra, which 2,000 years ago was on the thriving caravan trade route for frankincense and spices , is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It also gained popularity with the 1989 movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , with some scenes filmed at the location.

Last year, with an increase in cruise ships going to Jordan, as many as 8,000 people visited Petra some days, which was too many for it to handle, according to Suleiman Farajat, the chief commissioner of tourism and development in Petra.

"How strange is tourism? In one year, you start to have concerns about how to manage so many tourists. And within a couple of months you have zero tours," he says in his office, where huge windows overlook the sprawling ancient city.

Suleiman Farajat, chief commissioner for the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority, at his office overlooking the hills near Petra. Moises Saman for NPR hide caption

Suleiman Farajat, chief commissioner for the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority, at his office overlooking the hills near Petra.

More than 1 million people visited Petra last year, 80% of them from foreign countries. Surrounding villages filled with hotels and restaurants depend almost entirely on tourism.

Jordan took no chances with the coronavirus pandemic. After more than a month and a half of strict confinement measures , with 465 known cases and nine COVID-19-related deaths, the country has registered enough days with no new cases that it has reopened shops and allowed driving again. No cases were found in southern Jordan, where Petra is located.

Boys play soccer on a field in the Bedouin village of Um Sayhoun, near Petra. Moises Saman for NPR hide caption

Boys play soccer on a field in the Bedouin village of Um Sayhoun, near Petra.

"At a certain stage you don't care about tourism, you care about health," says Farajat.

Bedouin tribes in the region believe they are descendants of the ancient Nabateans. Many belong to the Howeitat confederation of tribes that fought alongside Britain's Lawrence of Arabia during World War I.

In the first century, Petra was a thriving city of 20,000 people. By the time a devastating earthquake hit roughly three centuries later, trade routes had shifted and the city fell into decline. Petra had been forgotten to all but the Bedouins in the city until a Swiss explorer arrived in 1812.

Bedouin village elder Ali Mutlaq Salem sits on his roof in the village of Um Sayhoun, on the outskirts of Petra. Salem was born and raised in one of the caves in Petra. Moises Saman for NPR hide caption

Bedouin village elder Ali Mutlaq Salem sits on his roof in the village of Um Sayhoun, on the outskirts of Petra. Salem was born and raised in one of the caves in Petra.

"We are the people who kept Petra secret for 500 years," says Ali Mutlaq Salem, 61, who was born and raised in one of the caves in Petra. The government relocated his and hundreds of other families to a new village in the 1980s.

From his rooftop in the village of Um Sayhoun in a house he built over the years with money from his souvenir shop, he points out the mountain in Petra where Aaron, the brother of the Prophet Moses, is believed to have been buried.

Salem's eldest son, Rizeq Ali, has an accounting degree, but normally makes a living taking tourists on mountain and desert trips. Seven years ago, when then-President Barack Obama visited Petra , Ali served him lunch.

"When he came I prepared a sand bottle with his name and his wife's name Michelle and he was really very nice," he says. They took a photo together and Ali says he told the president to come next time without all the security. "He was laughing," he says.

"The tourist business is really great," Ali says, but he says it has become too precarious: "The problem is when you have any problem around the world. Not in Jordan, around the world."

Portraits of Jordan's royal family adorn an empty guard post inside Petra. The site is now watched over by drones. Moises Saman for NPR hide caption

Portraits of Jordan's royal family adorn an empty guard post inside Petra. The site is now watched over by drones.

Ali, 31, thinks maybe he'll try to find work in a bank.

A few miles away in a field with goats and chickens, Ali's cousin, Suleiman Mohammad, sits with his wife in a black goat-hair tent with no running water and no electricity. He has rigged up a car battery to power a light and charge his cellphone.

Mohammad was self-employed, making a living leading tourists through Petra on donkeys. With the collapse of the tourism industry he could no longer pay the $200-a-month rent for the house they lived in.

"We were renting house in a Bedouin village," he says as his wife, Azziza Ali, builds a fire with sticks to make tea. "The first month, [the owner] said, 'I don't want any money from you.' " Mohammad says it would have been shameful to stay a second month without paying rent, so they left.

Suleiman Mohammad and his wife, Azziza Ali, live in a tent after they were unable to pay the rent on their home since the lockdown affected their work in the tourism industry. Moises Saman for NPR hide caption

Suleiman Mohammad and his wife, Azziza Ali, live in a tent after they were unable to pay the rent on their home since the lockdown affected their work in the tourism industry.

He couldn't afford feed for his three donkeys, so he has put them out to pasture. The only income they have now is from selling eggs. To feed the chickens, he grinds corn with a circular rock moving around a metal peg.

A few nights ago, he says, a wolf came and carried away one of the goats.

Azziza Ali sits near the chickens, a large tan hat shading her pale skin from the sun.

"Of course living in the village was better, but circumstances changed," she says. "You have to pay rent there, you have to pay electricity and water and there was no way. God willing, if the coronavirus is gone and things get better, we will go back to the village and rent a house again."

Ali Mutlaq Salem's grandchildren, Rizeq Ali's children, in the village of Um Sayhoun, on the outskirts of Petra. Most villagers here make a living from the tourism industry and are now out of work due to the lockdown measures that have effectively stopped tourism in Jordan and across most the world. Moises Saman for NPR hide caption

Ali Mutlaq Salem's grandchildren, Rizeq Ali's children, in the village of Um Sayhoun, on the outskirts of Petra. Most villagers here make a living from the tourism industry and are now out of work due to the lockdown measures that have effectively stopped tourism in Jordan and across most the world.

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Main Page         25/ New PDTRA chief, board members sworn in

Amman, October 9 (Petra) -- The newly-appointed Chief Commissioner and members of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) were sworn in on Monday before Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh after a Royal Decree endorsed a cabinet decision to appoint them. Taking the oath were: PDTRA Chief Commissioner Faris Braizat, Deputy Chairman and commissioner of the management of the reserve, Ismail Abu Amoud, and three board members: Ayman Majali. Fatima Helalat and Hamza Alyani. Prior to his appointment as Chief Commissioner, Braizat was Chairman of the Amman-based NAMA Strategic Intelligence Solutions (research firm) where he directed public policy-related projects especially on tourism with a focus on eco-tourism in rural and periphery areas, and manager of a number of research projects on public policies, particularly in tourism, including leading a team of specialists to produce a strategy to develop tourism and hospitality workers' skills. In 2022, he was appointed by the Royal Court to moderate "The Working on the Tourism Sector" as part of the economic workshop organized by the Royal Court to produce Jordan’s economic modernization vision. He was also a member of the Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System in 2021, Minister of Youth 2019-2020, and advisor and director of strategic studies and evaluation at the office of His Majesty the King 2012-2016. //Petra//SS 09/10/2023 17:49:32

Unesco World Heritage site Petra reopens to tourists after flash flooding

Regional authority takes steps to prevent further damage to the ancient desert city.

Visitors have been readmitted to Petra following the flash floods Courtesy Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority

Tourist routes have reopened at the ancient site of Petra in southern Jordan after flash floods engulfed the Unesco world heritage site earlier this week. A video posted on social media by Joyce Karam from the Middle Eastern news website Al-Monitor shows water cascading down cliffs, turning into a river of mud in the walkways of the popular tourist destination.

A spokesman for the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority, says: “The site is in the best condition and tourists have been entering the site as usual since yesterday morning [27 December]. On Monday we had 1,790 tourists, [on] Tuesday around 3,000 tourists and today [28 December] a little more.”

In a statement posted on Facebook, authority officials add that they are “periodically maintaining the early-alarm [floods] system and operate about nine monitoring stations that measure the height of the water”. New aerial observation stations are due to be installed at appropriate locations in the Petra region.

Raed Al-Khattab, the director of the Jordanian Meteorology department, stressed that the topography of Petra “helps floods [to develop] and the amount of rainfall that fell on the area—80 millimetres in some parts— is considered large”.

It is unclear whether the flash floods caused lasting damage to the site but Karam writes that “Petra dates to around 3,000 BC [and] has withstood human and natural disasters. Current storm not believed to be a threat to the structure.” In 2018, more than 20 people were killed in floods in the area according to the BBC.

Petra is known for its elaborate tomb facades carved into sandstone cliff by the Nabataeans between the first century BC and the fourth century. In 2003, a French and Saudi-led archaeological excavation began on the site, which was a key stop on the incense and aromatics trade routes; it was added to Unesco’s World Heritage List in 1985.

According to Unesco, the monuments at Petra, are “vulnerable to flash flooding along [the town of] Wadi Musa through the winding gorge (Siq) if the Nabataean diversion system [comprising an ancient dam] is not continually monitored, repaired and maintained… there is a long-term need for a framework for sustainable development and management practices aimed at protecting the property from damage resulting from the pressure of visitors, while enhancing revenues from tourism that will contribute to the economic and social viability of the region.”

Clearing up the site after rainfall of around 80 millimetres Courtesy Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority

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Petra Tourism Development and Investment Framework

Jordan, Middle East

Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) commissioned Dar to prepare a tourism development plan and investment strategy for Petra.

We enhanced and diversified Petra’s assets making it a tourist hub that attracts visitors from all over the world. We also positioned Petra as a base for exploring the wider region. 

We analyzed the tourism sector nationally and regionally to define Petra’s core tourist segments and identify potential new markets. Then, we developed a Tourism Development Strategy & Roadmap and drew from it a number of high priority projects that are likely to stimulate tourism development in the region. We prepared financial models for these projects, calculated their feasibility, and defined a delivery mechanism.

Our development plan for Petra makes it a primary destination for extended lengths of stay. We gave the world the chance to appreciate Petra’s history while also providing the region with an economic boost.

Development Delivery and Implementation Strategy

Economic Viability

Project and Place Branding

Financial Feasibility

Development Strategy

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Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority

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Petra development tourism Region Authority is a legal, financial and administrative independent Authority, founded in 2009 and aims to develop the region touristy, economically, socially, culturally, and contribute to local community development.

Enhanced capacity of government and Civil Society organisations (CSOs) to prevent, respond to and mitigate natural and man-made disaster.

Enhancing Institutional Capacities to reduce Disaster Risk and to integrate Climate Change in the region which includes: 1-Integrated Risk Assessment 2-Setting up an Early Warning System for Flash Floods 3-Petra Neighborhood Disaster Volunteers 4-Making Petra Resilient Citys .. Petra Is getting reading

Eng. Hussein Abbas Alhasanat

https://www.preventionweb.net http://www.jo.undp.org

Integrated Risk assessment for Wadi Mousa City in Petra

Setting-up an Early Warning System for Flash Flood

Building capacities of local communities, schools, local NGO's

Reduce the underlying risk factors by land use planning in the area and constructing dams and improving water channels and culverts, building codes, strengthening laws and regulations.

Policy, technical and institutional capacities and mechanisms for disaster risk management, with a disaster risk reduction perspective are limited.

Petra Neighborhood Disaster Volunteers

1-Integrated Risk Assessment project is being implemented in Petra nowadays (Nov 2012-July 2013) 2-Setting-up an Early Warning System for Flash Floods is being implemented in Petra nowadays (Jan-Sept 2013) 3-Disaster Risk Reduction Unit has been established in PDTRA - Directorate of Strategic Planning & Research

The Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments (SFVC) online platform allows stakeholders to inform the public about their work on DRR. The SFVC online platform is a useful toolto know who is doing what and where for the implementation of the Sendai Framework, which could foster potential collaboration among stakeholders. All stakeholders (private sector, civil society organizations, academia, media, local governments, etc.) working on DRR can submit their commitments and report on their progress and deliverables.

Petra, Petra (Jordan): Local progress report on the implementation of the HFA and 10 Essentials for Making Cities Resilient (2013-2014)

Petra (jordan): local progress report on the implementation of the hfa and 10 essentials for making cities resilient (2011-2013), contact information, is this page useful.

Thank you. If you have 2 minutes, we would benefit from additional feedback (link opens in a new window) .

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Destination Assessment of Petra, Jordan

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) conducted a Destination Assessment of Petra, Jordan , from May to August 2023. GSTC expert Assessors completed an unbiased assessment of the management of the destination’s compliance with the GSTC Destination Criteria (GSTC-D) , the global standard for sustainable destinations. 

Petra Overview

Petra, the capital of the Nabataean Arabs, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. Located 240 km south of Amman, Petra is the most famous site and tourist attraction in Jordan, visited by tourists worldwide. Petra is a unique example of an astonishing ancient civilization. More than 2,000 years ago, the Nabataean Arabs perfectly carved this magnificent city into the mountains. Petra was rediscovered in 1812 by the Swiss explorer Johan Ludwig Burckhardt during an expedition funded by the British Royal Geographical Society in the Levant, Egypt, and the Arabian Peninsula. Because the city remained hidden from the Western world for so long, Petra was named the “Lost City”. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. 

Tourist numbers peaked at 1.1 million in 2019, marking the first time the figure rose above the 1 million marks. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the city tourism, but soon after, it started to pick up again, reaching 905,000 visitors in 2022.

GSTC Destination Assessment of Petra, Jordan

The GSTC Destination Criteria (GSTC-D) covers four pillars of destination sustainability: destination policy and planning, community involvement and benefits, management of cultural assets, and management of environmental and natural resources.

The GSTC Destination Assessor, Dr. Mihee Kang , conducted an assessment of current tourism activities and management approaches with the support of Nastadeem / EcoHotels and the Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) . The assessment included a 6-day onsite visit by the assessor who interviewed relevant authorities and stakeholders to verify compliance with the GSTC-D. There also was an introductory opening workshop that was held on May 21, 2023.

A peer review was conducted by Dr. Kelly Bricker , Vice Chair of GSTC and Professor and Director of the Hainan-Arizona State International Tourism College (HAITC), located in Phoenix, Arizona. The goal was to enhance the objectivity and rationality of the evaluation results. The GSTC Assessor analyzed the destination’s feedback before finalizing and submitting the destination’s sustainable tourism assessment report.

“We are committed to sustainability.” Said Dr. Fares Braizat, Chief Commissioner of the PDTRA .  “This is the first step towards transforming Petra into a world class sustainable tourism destination.”  

“We will continue the journey with the GSTC to implement the recommendations in the assessment and to train the tourism sector on the GSTC Criteria.” Added Eng Hamzeh Al-Alayani, Commissioner for Investments and Infrastructure at the PDTRA.   

Key Takeaways

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and PDTRA have established plans for tourism development and management in Petra in collaboration with organizations such as UNESCO, USAID, etc.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been developing the ‘Petra Tourism Development Master Plan’ and already published its ‘Volume 1: Diagnosis‘ as a first part of the project result in February, 2022. The Petra Destination Assessment is supported by JICA as an activity aligned with its master planning. It is a significant stride forward towards not only enhancing tourism in Petra but also promoting sustainable development in the region.

More information about the GSTC Destination Assessment is available here .

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Petra welcomes ‘highest ever’ number of tourists in q1 2023 — pdtra.

By Mays Ibrahim Mustafa - Apr 02,2023 - Last updated at Apr 02,2023

Visitors are seen at Petra’s ancient Treasury, the rose-red city’s iconic façade, some 220km south of Amman in this recent photo (Photo courtesy of Ahed Taha)

AMMAN — A total of 324,350 tourists visited Petra during the first quarter of 2023, marking a 35 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2019, Al Mamlaka TV reported on Friday. 

Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) Suleiman Farajat noted that this number is the “highest ever” in the history of the ancient city as a tourist destination. 

The number of tourists visiting Petra in March reached 143,962, including 131,116 foreigners, of whom 23,746 are Americans followed by 16,108 Italians, 13,926 French and 13,565 Germans, according to Farajat. 

Associate Professor of Tourism Marketing and Assistant Dean at the School of Tourism and Hospitality at Yarmouk University Salem Harahsheh noted that 2023 is forecast to mark a “very strong” rebound in tourism demand worldwide. 

“This can be attributed to the pent-up demand, which accumulated due to extended periods of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic and provoked the appearance of revenge tourism,” he told The Jordan Times. 

“Revenge tourism” is a media buzzword that describes travelling to make up for the lost time being stuck at home during the pandemic. 

The increase in the number of visitors to Petra in particular, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985 and one of the world’s seven wonders, is partly due to Jordan’s “long-standing” reputation as a safe destination and the increase in low-cost carriers’ travel routes, which encouraged “already-eager” tourists to visit Jordan, according to Harahsheh. 

He pointed out that the ancient city’s location is also “quite unique”, allowing visitors to enjoy the nearby desert landscapes of Wadi Rum and later on dive in the warm waters of Aqaba or take a walk on its sandy beaches.

These factors combined with the marketing efforts of the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) lead Petra to welcome this record number of visitors, he said. 

“The [JTB] launch of the ‘Kingdom of Time’ brand for Jordan, is a step in the right direction, reintroducing it as an intriguing and multifaceted destination that is rich in its culture, history and people,” he added. 

According to Harahsheh, branding is “very powerful”, as it helps create a unique identity for a destination by mobilising its most appealing and competitive assets

US television personality Oprah Winfrey, describing Petra as a “must-see” destination following her recent trip, also helped shine the light on the ancient city as an attractive destination, he said. 

Collaborations with public figures or travel bloggers and influencers on social media platforms can be effective in creating “viral” marketing campaigns, Harahsheh noted. 

“Such modern digital marketing strategies allow us to engage with travel enthusiasts around the world in a way that has never been possible before,” he said. 

However, employing human and financial capital to implement marketing strategies should be preceded by investing in Jordan’s tourism infrastructure including transport, accommodation, parks facilities, restaurants and entertainment venues, among others, he continued. 

Moreover, Harahsheh stressed the need to promote sustainable tourism, through investing in traditional handcrafts and training tour guides from the local community, which helps create jobs in underserved communities and offers tourists unique and personalised experiences. 

The Jordan Times also spoke with representatives from local travel agencies, who noted a marked growth in demand during 2023. 

Hala Ahmad, the reservation manager at a travel agency, said that the year 2023 is witnessing the highest growth in tourism and travel demand since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Omar Abu Nimreh, operations supervisor at a travel agency, said that the number of reservations for trips and holiday packages has increased by over 50 per cent compared with the same period last year. 

Contributing factors to this increase include low cost carriers and United airline’s direct flights from Washington to Jordan, launched for the first time in 2022, according to Abu Nimreh. 

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