Jordan has recorded 3,720,259 tourists in the first seven months of this year, a 51.2% increase from the 2,459,281 visitors registered during the same period last year, according to Arab News, citing data released by the Jordan government.

As per the data published by the Central Bank of Jordan in July this year, the country registered $3.45bn in revenues in the first half of this year, indicating a growth of 59.4% over the corresponding period last year.

According to Jordan Hotels Association (JHA) vice-president Hussein Halalat, the reservation rates for five-star hotels in Aqaba city were 87% during the two-day period of 17-19 August, the Jordan Times reported.

During this period, the occupancy rates in the capital city of Amman, the Dead Sea and Petra city were 62%, 61% and 40%, respectively.

Halalat added that four-star hotels in Aqaba saw occupancy rates of 70%, the Dead Sea region at 49%, Amman at 70% and Petra at 37%.

The occupancy rates at three-star hotels were 59% in Aqaba, 57% in Amman and 15% in Petra.

The association stated that the occupancy rates at the hotels have fallen immensely last week.

The association stated that although hotel occupancy rates are generally higher during this time of the year, this decrease is due to high temperatures, the upcoming school season and the release of the General Secondary Education Certificate Examination, or Tawjihi exam results.

Reservations recorded last week have decreased by 7% in Amman, 5% in the Dead Sea region and 15% in Aqaba, but grew by 5% in Petra.

In a statement, the association stated: “The high occupancy rates in Petra hotels indicate that we have moved from the recessionary season to the peak tourist season. The Petra region has high occupancy rates on weekdays—Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday — according to tourism programmes.”

According to the JHA, most of the visitors were Jordanians, indicating that domestic tourism is active.