Last January I found myself in the remarkable position of standing in front of the Treasury at Petra almost completely alone. Aside from a few sleepy-looking camels and a couple of other tourists gazing at the marvels of this ancient wonder, it was just me in the Rose City.

In years gone by, the Treasury and the 1.2km Al Siq canyon leading to it would have been filled almost shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists, while other travellers across the country would have been soaking in the Dead Sea, exploring mosaics in the streets of Madaba, and camping out under the stars at Wadi Rum. Sadly, geopolitical events have deterred visitors from putting Jordan on their travel agenda. As I watched one local woman cook the traditional mansaf dish at her house on the outskirts of Petra, she told me: “Here we pray for rain … and we pray for tourists.”

There was hope during my visit that the flow of visitors would resume, but Trump’s war against Iran dealt a hammer blow to Jordan tourism. Following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran that started on February 28, the Foreign Office (FCDO) advised against all but essential travel to most of Jordan (except the area within 3km of the border with Syria which remained under an advisory against all travel). Although some flights continued to Amman and a handful of tour operators continued to run trips, the FCDO advice would have spooked most tourists. It’s also worth noting that your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign Office.

So I was pleased this week to see that the FCDO removed the “non-essential” travel advisory, making it far easier and more tempting for UK travellers to look to the Middle East for a holiday.

My experience of Jordan – one that is shared by the vast majority of travellers – is that it is a safe, affordable and wonderfully welcoming country. While British Airways flights to Amman remain suspended until October 25 and Wizz Air has yet to restart flying the route, the very pleasant Royal Jordanian airline continues to fly in and out of the capital. Even better, as the country works to encourage tourists back, you’ll likely find some excellent deals on hotels and tours – as well as being able to enjoy some of the world’s most breathtaking landscapes and ancient sites free from crowds. For example, right now in Wadi Musa, the gateway to Petra, you can book a decent three-star hotel for under £50 a night. Group tours are also pleasingly affordable: Intrepid’s eight-day Explore Jordan trip currently starts at £919, while G Adventures has an eight-day Highlights of Jordan trip for £790.

I suspect that the return of tourism to Jordan will be slow, but I do hope the current trickle turns into a tide. In the meantime, with low prices and no crowds, now could be the ideal time to enjoy the marvels of this part of the Middle East.

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