The number of tourists visiting Jordan from Israel has increased by 20% over the past nine months, in comparison with the same period in 2017, according to figures released by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Statistics have shown that 109,000 people have visited Jordan from Israel from January through to September 2018, whereas during the same period last year, the number of tourists from across the pond registered at 91,000.

Out of the 109K tourists, 78,000 were overnight visitors, while the rest were in the Kingdom for just a day trip.

As for Palestinians visiting from the West Bank, 31,200 crossed over to Jordan for a day trip during the past nine months.

Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat, Managing Director of the Jordan Tourism Board, told Al Ghad newspaper that “90% of those visiting from Israel are Palestinian.”

Arabiyat noted that the number of Israeli tourists did not exceed 10%, adding that their preferred destinations were always the Dead Sea, Petra and Aqaba.

The surge in tourist numbers from Israel and the West Bank is due to the increase in festivals, events and activities in the Kingdom, and due to the cancellation of toll fees for Palestinians at the Karameh Border Crossing.