The PRPC did not exist when most of the building permits were issued, says Salamin. From now on we are making sure that nothing which can have a negative impact on Petra will be built. The private sector is not the only culprit. Two large public buildings stand at the left of the entrance to Petra. One is the Wadi Moussa sports hall.
Congestion seems inevitable.
To limit it, horses are not allowed through the gorge unless they are drawing carriages. Other improvements have made life easier for visitors. Toilets have been built, the site is kept meticulously clean, and souvenir vendors have been grouped together and will eventually be moved outside the park. On the other hand, the tourist information centre is too small and is used almost exclusively to display the handicrafts made by local women under the aegis of the Noor al-Hussein Foundation. Under pressure from tourism and in the absence of a local tradition of site restoration, conservation may be the most pressing issue.