Ammon News - AMMAN - Over 40 new interpretation signs have been placed along the main tourist trail in Petra to improve the available information and enrich the tourism experience, according to industry officials.

The Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) and the USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project (JTDP) produced a total of 43 signs, which are being placed near “key” monuments and features in Petra to give visitors an idea of the history, culture and practices of the Nabataean civilisation.

“We are moving quickly to respond to international tourist expectations and increased visitor numbers, and dramatically improve the Petra experience,” said PDTRA Chief Commissioner Nasser Shraideh in a statement received by The Jordan Times.

“The signs are one of many tangible changes that visitors are beginning to see at the site,” Shraideh added.

The interpretation signs are part of an overall plan being implemented by the PDTRA to develop the Petra Archaeological Park to improve visitor services, according to the authority.

The PDTRA is also preparing other projects and initiatives to provide visitors with safety and educational information.

Earlier this year, a new site brochure and map were produced that give visitors a general idea about the history of the rose-red city and the Nabataeans including a guide to the site’s “main trail”.

Over the next six months, additional interpretive signs will be developed to cover all “significant” monuments in Petra in addition to further direction and caution signs, the JTDP said.

The signage also comes as an effort to prevent accidents in the ancient city, which although rare, have occurred in cases of visitors wandering off the main path and into restricted areas.

(Taylor Luck/ Jordan Times)

** A visitor refers to a new interpretation sign detailing the main path through Petra’s Siq (Photo courtesy of JTDP)