4 days ago
Petra: 5,000 employees affected by the decline in tourism
Petra Hotels Association President Abdullah al-Hasanat estimated that around 5,000 employees across various tourism sectors have been affected by the decline in tourism in Petra. Petra hotels alone have laid off around 700 employees due to the sharp decline in occupancy.
Al-Hasanat said that all workers in the tourism sector have been negatively affected by the decline in tourism, with some losing their jobs or seeing their incomes slashed by more than half.
Al-Hasanat added that approximately 32 of Petra's 90 tourist hotels have completely closed their doors, while the remaining hotels are operating partially and in accordance with available tourist activity. Occupancy rates range between 1-5% under the best of circumstances.
Al-Hasanat called on the government to take further measures to accelerate the recovery of tourism, such as accelerating the attraction of low-cost airlines.
He called for further support for Petra's tourism sector to enable it to continue, including direct financial support, interest-free loan deferrals until tourism activity improves, and tax exemptions.
The Petra region has been suffering from a sharp decline in visitor numbers for nearly a year and ten months, due to the surrounding political circumstances, most notably the repercussions of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
The number of foreign visitors to the city declined by more than 70% last year, according to official figures from the Petra Region. The tourism downturn has cast a dark shadow over the city's various economic sectors.
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