Visitors to Petra fell 30% in the first three months of 2009 compared to the same period last year according to official figures. Between January and March 2009 about 140,000 tourists visited Petra compared to 200,000 visitors for the same period last year. Petra reserve figures show entry fees generated JD2.7 million during this period.
A Petra Hotels representative, Hussein Hilalat, attributed the decreased number of visitors to the global financial crisis and expects the numbers this month to be low. Mr. Hilalat noted about 1/3 of the visitors in the first three months were passengers on cruise ships and spent only one day in Petra so did not use facilities. He noted the occupancy rate is currently 100% because of Easter and was hopeful things would improve.
Nostalgia about an era gone by (the 19th century in particular) is evoked in this rather interesting museum. Tourists are able to learn from the exhibits and galleries showcasing Oman’s unique relationship with France, a former colonial power. The pictures of early French diplomats are also on display along with an interesting collection of postage stamps. This museum was opened in 1992 in a house...
Address: southwest from El Centro, in the Curacao district Begun in 1944, El Pinar Zoo was the first public zoo in Venezuela. Although relatively small, only on a 7 acre plot of land, the zoo has succeeded in drawing a large number of curious kids and adults to its enchanting collection of nature’s visual treats. The zoo contains many local species of animals – some dangerous ones are caged...
Sheikh Zayed Palace, built in 1937, was the residence of His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan - the ruler of the Eastern Region at the time - until 1966. In 2001, it was converted into a museum and was opened to the public. The simplicity of the buildings, along with the secluded gardens and the flourishing green palm trees at the west side of the Al Ain Oasis, truly reflects the cou...
St Joseph's Cathedral, also known as Nha Tha Lon, is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Hanoi and was consecrated on the night of Christmas in 1886. Built by the French on the site of a demolished pagoda; St Joseph's Cathedral is known simply as the "Big Church" among the Vietnamese of Hanoi and is designed to resemble the Notre Dame in Paris. Address: Nha Chung Street, Hanoi ...