Eilat tour guides seek Peres intervention on Petra fee hikes

Tour operators in Eilat have asked President Shimon Peres to intervene on their behalf with Jordan's King Abdullah II and reverse the Hashemite Kingdom's decision to charge Petra day-trippers coming from Israel more than other tourists.

As reported in TheMarker this week, the entry fee to the Nabatean city for visitors entering Jordan from Israel who do not stay in the country overnight will be $130, beginning October 1 of this year. Those arriving from Egypt or other countries will pay $74 to tour Petra. The tour operators say the price difference will drive tourists to spend a night in a hotel in Aqaba or Egypt rather than in Eilat to avoid the extra charge.

The new fee schedule is to apply to anyone entering Jordan from Israel, irrespective of their nationality.

Tourism operators have already complained to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov about the discrimination, and are hoping that the strong personal ties between Peres and the Jordanian king will work in their favor.

The Israeli tour organizers also sent a letter to their Jordanian colleagues, asking them to do whatever they can to repeal the decision in the name of cooperation.

On Monday Petra tour organizers held an emergency meeting in Eilat, during which they passed a unanimous resolution to cancel all tours scheduled to set out for Petra on January 15, next Friday. They also agreed to hold a protest at the Arava border crossing if tangible progress is not made on the issue by next week.