Jordan's ancient archaeological site of Petra received 1 million visitors in one year for the first time ever, with officials organizing celebrations on Thursday at the World Heritage site. Photo: Reinhard Kungel/dpa
Jordan's ancient archaeological site of Petra received 1 million visitors in a year for the first time ever, with officials organizing celebrations on Thursday at the World Heritage site.
A US tourist got the special ticket number 1 million in 2019, which gives her lifetime access to the archaeological site known as the Rose City.
"We are here on our honeymoon. It’s our first time to Jordan," she told al-Mamlaka TV before joining the celebrations that included folklore dancing and fireworks.
Jordan has been trying to attract tourists and increase revenue of the sector, which accounts for around 13 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP).
The highest number of visitors was in 2010, when around 970,000 people went to the site in southern Jordan. Last year, 812,000 people visited Petra, according to official figures.
The celebrations at Petra come after a knife attack earlier this month left four tourists and four Jordanians injured at the Roman site of Jerash, north of the capital Amman.
The attack raised concerns as the country has been trying to revive its economy, which has been hit by neighbouring conflicts and an influx of refugees, pushing the unemployment rate to more than 18 per cent.
