The latest increases at Petra, which took effect last November, coincide with a steep drop in visitors. Thanks to fallout from the Egyptian revolution and violent protests in parts of neighboring Syria, tourism officials are reportedly forecasting a 25% decline this year. (As a park gate closed at sunset last Friday, I was virtually alone - and a tour guide told me that crowds were down nearly 70% from the same time a year ago.)
The new, higher fees include the services of a tour guide and a 10-minute horseback ride to the entrance of the Siq (seen above), a narrow, winding canyon that serves as the main entrance and gateway to Petra's signature ruin, The Treasury of Indiana Jones fame. But that hasn't stopped some critics from complaining: "Proposals for more toilets on-site, better interpretation and new transport services in & out are welcome," writes travel writer Matthew Teller. "But why such a massive price-hike to fund them? Petra had more than 800,000 visitors in 2008, who brought more than $21 million in ticket receipts for this one site, in one year alone, in a developing-world country. $21m buys a lot of portaloos. Where has that money gone?"
"Petra is one of the most fantastic places I've ever been, so I'm not saying don't go. And Petra aside, Jordan is a great value. But this kind of blatant pocket-lining drives me crazy," adds travel writer Tim Leffel, who notes that one-day admission to the ancient city costs more than a walk-up ticket to Disney World ($87.33), Peru's Machu Picchu (about $45) or Cambodia's Angkor Wat ($20). Ecuador's Galapagos National Park, on the other hand, charges foreign visitors $100 to get in, while the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan assesses a $200-$240 per person, per day fee that includes lodging, meals transportation and guide.
As Leffel points out, the cost of visiting Petra is diluted sharply when spread out over two or three days, and the sheer vastness of the site makes a one-day tour inadvisable anyway. (My legs and lungs complained bitterly when I opted for a five-hour sprint instead.) But notwithstanding the hustling souvenir sellers and horse handlers who demanded a five-dinar tip, even one afternoon in Petra was magical - and worth a heck of a lot more than a day with Mickey Mouse and company.
Written by 2Machupicchu
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