The ancient city of Petra posted a record number of visitors in the first quarter of the year as more than 300,000 people made it to the red rose city, most of them foreign tourists, according to Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) Chief Commissioner Suleiman Al-Farajat. The number of visitors in the first quarter was the highest in the Petra tourism history with 324,350 people, including 292,350 foreigners, marking an increase of 35 percent over the same period in 2019, he told Petra in an interview Saturday. Al-Farajat said the month of March set a record for the first time as 143,962 people entered the site, including 131,116 foreigners, about 91 percent. He said that the US nationality came first as 23,746 Americans visited the tourist attraction in March, followed by Italy, 16,108, France, 13,962 and Germany 13,565. The rise in numbers means more direct income to local communities, he pointed out, adding that many of PDTRA future projects will focus on expanding areas benefiting from tourism and improving services and infrastructure.
Source: Jordan News Agency