PETRA, Jordan – The ancient city of Petra, Jordan's crown jewel and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the region's top tourist destinations. Petra normally bustles with thousands of visitors daily. Since October 7th, however, the city's rose facades and ancient streets have fallen eerily silent.
The Israel-Hamas war has devastated lives and economies far beyond Gaza's borders. Our correspondent Chuck Holton traveled to Jordan to see the impact on one of the region's top tourist destinations.
The dropoff has discouraged tour guides, including Abu Hashem. He told CBN News, "At this moment the war, it is making some trouble in the Petra. No tourists, but all the tourists are afraid. Maybe outside Jordan you have war, but Jordan is not Palestine. It's far away. For Jordan, it's very safe, Petra is very safe."
Despite Jordan's distance from the conflict, the perception of danger has dealt a severe blow to the country's tourism industry.
Abu Hashem estimates that out of 300 hotels in the city, only 28-30 are operating, and workers stay home.
When I rode a camel through the Rose Red City, it was a revelation to realize that would have been an impossible dream pretty much any other time in history. And being here with no tourists because of the war gives one the amazing feeling of discovering the place for the first time.
Unfortunately, that dream has become a nightmare for the merchants making their living here.
Solomon, a Bedouin merchant told us, "Well, before, October 7th, it was like, climbing up to the Monastery around 2000 tourists a day – 5000 visiting Petra down below, at the monastery's base. And now we have almost like 50, 40 a day, sometimes 20, and maybe more like, like 150 at the base."
Without tourists, many can no longer feed their families.
"Well, before we do make like – when in the high season – we do $200, $200 a day, sometimes $400 when you sell, like silver – real stuff. Now we make like ten, 15 Jordanian Dinars a day and sometimes I make no money at all. Like, sometimes for five of six days, no business."
Across Jordan, hotel occupancies have plummeted to as low as three percent in some areas. Airlines have cut routes, and cruise ships have canceled visits.
Despite their hardships, many here are reluctant to discuss the root cause of their economic woes.
In our interview with Solomon, I told him, "This is the thing about October 7th that I have noticed, I think that the Palestinians, the Hamas, thought they would hurt Israel and they did, but they hurt their Muslim brothers more because of all of the terrible economic things that happen, you know?"
When we asked about the Hamas massacre as a possible reason behind his suffering, Solomon immediately ended the interview – a chilling reminder that people here are very careful not to blame the terror group.
As the war continues, the economic toll on Jordan and other neighboring countries grows. The once-bustling streets of Petra remain silent, its majestic ruins both a testament to human ingenuity and a stark reminder of the far-reaching impact of this conflict.
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