Ancient Petra City Affected by Middle East Conflict, Tour Cancellations Reach 100%
Source: Envato
Among the red cliffs of southern Jordan's desert, the ancient city of Petra is usually filled with tourists coming to traverse the narrow Siq canyon towards the magnificent facade of Al-Khazneh. However, the geopolitical situation in the Middle East region has slowed the pulse of Tourism at this World Heritage site.
As a result, tourist bookings to Petra have seen cancellations of up to 100 percent throughout March.
Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), Adnan Al-Sawa'ir, quoted by Jordan News on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, revealed these cancellations were triggered by regional dynamics affecting international tourist mobility.
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He added that the wave of cancellations didn't stop in March. The Travel cancellation rate for April has reportedly reached about 60 percent.
Meanwhile, tourist bookings for May have also shrunk with a cancellation rate of approximately 45 percent, potentially continuing to rise.
City Tourism area of ancient Petra, Jordan." width="100%" />Source: Envato
Al-Sawa'ir explained that Petra actually began 2026 optimistically.
The Tourist Visit trend had shown improvement before the regional situation changed drastically, causing visitor numbers to plummet sharply.
During some periods, no tourist visits were recorded at all.
For a city whose livelihood depends on tourism, this situation is a heavy blow.
Many local residents rely on income from working as tour guides, managing accommodations, and selling crafts.
To reduce the economic impact on local communities, tourism authorities have begun taking anticipatory measures.
One approach is reactivating the domestic tourism program titled Urdun Jannah, an initiative encouraging Jordanians to explore Tourist Destinations within their country.
Simultaneously, the low visitor period is being utilized for various maintenance works in Petra, including construction projects, site cleaning, and tourism infrastructure rehabilitation.
