AMMAN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The ancient city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Jordan's most iconic archaeological attraction, is experiencing a sharp decline in tourist arrivals as ongoing regional conflicts continue to disrupt Jordan's tourism sector.

The continued conflict in Gaza since October 2023, coupled with the recent Iranian-Israeli tensions and broader instability across the region, has led to a collapse in foreign tourism to Petra. Once a symbol of post-pandemic recovery, the city has seen many tourism-related businesses suspend operations.

Tourism in Petra supports hundreds of jobs and anchors local investments valued at around 500 million Jordanian dinars (about 705 million U.S. dollars), according to data from the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA).

Between January and June this year, Petra welcomed 259,798 visitors, including 175,510 foreigners -- a steep decline from the 692,595 total visitors, of whom 606,000 were foreigners, recorded during the same period in 2023.

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Petra also dropped significantly, from 9,765 in 2023 to 6,131 in 2024. Between January 1 and May 31 this year, only 3,689 Chinese visitors were recorded, according to PDTRA commissioner Yazan Mahadin.

"Petra is facing a real crisis in both tourism and commerce," said Fares Braizat, chairman of the PDTRA. "More than 85 percent of the local population depends on tourism, directly or indirectly. Entry ticket revenues are a major part of our funding."

Petra, often referred to as the "Rose City" for its rock-carved facades, had experienced a partial recovery in 2022 and early 2023 following the end of pandemic disruptions. That recovery was cut short by the outbreak of violence in Gaza in late 2023.

"Cancellation rates in Petra have reached between 95 and 100 percent," said Hussein Helalat, deputy chairman of the Jordan Hotels Association, in an interview with Xinhua. "We've been in crisis since the war in Gaza began, and nearly two years later, we are still suffering."

Helalat added that the recent Israeli-Iranian tensions further discouraged travel to the region. "Many airlines, including low-cost carriers, have halted services to the region due to security concerns," he noted.

While some hotels in cities like the capital Amman and coastal city Aqaba reported occupancy rates of around 35 percent in June, many of those bookings were transit stays by people fleeing unrest elsewhere, rather than traditional tourists, noted Helalat.

"The tourism sector is always the first to be affected and the slowest to recover," he said. "We saw this during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now with the conflict in Gaza. We had a promising recovery in 2022 and a strong start in 2023, but everything changed after Oct. 7, 2023."  ■