The Kingdom's tourism sector experienced a rise in revenues in the first seven months of this year, despite a decline in visitor numbers. A Ministry of Tourism report issued showed that revenues rose by 17 per cent in the first seven months to nearly JD1.5 billion compared to JD1.25 billion by the end of July last year.
Visitor numbers fell 6 per cent, however, with 3,785,055 tourists coming to the Kingdom in the first seven months of this year compared to 4,031,404 in the same period last year.
The number of overnight visitors rose 6.1 per cent from 1,708,892 to 2,463,838, but the number of one-day visitors declined 22.7 per cent from 1,708,892 to 1,321,218, accounting for the total decrease.
The ministry attributed the rise in revenues to the increase in the number of visitors from Libya and Yemen who came to Jordan for treatment.
Arabs, excluding those from the Gulf states, were the most frequent visitors in 2012 so far, with 806,291 coming to the Kingdom since January, followed by 613,427 Jordanian expatriates and 419,397 Arabs from the Gulf states.
The number of visitors to most of the Kingdom's tourist attractions also fell: Only 361,503 tourists visited Petra in the first seven months of the year, a 7 per cent drop from 390,170 in the same period last year.
Only Ajloun Castle showed an increase in visitor numbers, with 144,988 visiting the site so far this year — a 28 per cent increase over last year's January-July figure of 112,947.
Jordan Times
23 August