Jordan hopes Petra win will boost tourism, economy
metimes.com
Jordan expects the choice of its centuries-old Petra ruins among the seven "new" world wonders to double the number of tourists to the site and boost its economy, an official said Sunday.
"The inclusion of Petra in the list of the new seven wonders of the world gives an indication that more tourists are going to visit Jordan and the city," said Faruq Hadidi, the secretary-general of Jordan's tourism ministry.
This was "expected to increase tourism revenue, market the kingdom, and enhance the national economy," Hadidi said.
"The result reflected the importance of the red-rose city as a cultural, tourist, and archaeological site," he said, adding around 400,000 people visit Petra each year.
"We expect the figure to double."
The ruins of Petra, a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site, are located 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of the Jordanian capital Amman.
Petra was selected along with six other sites by around 100 million people in a world-wide Internet and telephone vote, the results of which were announced in a televised ceremony in Portugal Saturday night.
Following the announcement, thousands of Jordanians cheered, waved flags, set off fireworks, and broke into traditional dances in Amman and Petra.
Petra comprises stunning temples and tombs carved in rock.
It was the capital of Arab Nabataean nomads, who settled in the area more than 2,000 years ago, turning it into a key junction for the silk, spice, and other trade routes that linked China, India, and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece, and Rome.
Among other sites chosen were the Great Wall of China, the Coliseum in Rome, and the Taj Mahal monument in India.
