Palestinians aim to push tourism beyond Bethlehem

Palestinian tourism sector struggles to lure more tourists amid restrictions of Israeli occupation.

BETHLEHEM, West Bank - For your next getaway, you might consider this: four nights and five days in sunny "Palestine: land of miracles".

It's a tough sell for a place that has become synonymous with Middle East occupation and violence, for an occupied country that does not even control all of its territory, let alone its major tourist attractions.

And yet the figures are up for the third year running. Palestinian tourism ministry records show that some 2.6 million tourists visited the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank in 2009.

Of those, more than 1.7 million were foreigners, just 1.2 percent fewer than in 2008 -- a veritable miracle in itself at a time when the global economic slump has sent tourism plunging 10 percent across the rest of the region.

The fact that the Palestinian territories are part of the Holy Land accounts for a large part of the success.

Bethlehem, home to the Church of the Nativity built on what tradition holds to be the birthplace of Jesus, is the prime attraction. More than 80 percent of all tourists who come to the Palestinian territories visit Bethlehem.

"We do not have a sea or sport centers, we don't have oil or fashion or nightclubs. Visitors must come as pilgrims," said Bethlehem mayor Victor Batarseh.

Being a one-attraction destination has its drawbacks, however, and those who come do not spend either much time or money.

"Every day they come and visit our city, but just for 20 minutes," said Adnan Subah, who sells olive wood carvings and pottery to tourists.

"They go from the bus into the church and then back on the bus," he said, gesturing forlornly at his empty shop despite its prime location near the church on Manger Square.

Still, despite its "Palestine: land of miracles" slogan, the Palestinian tourism ministry says it has more to offer than just holy sites.

Brochures tout the wonders of the Turkish baths of Nablus, the cosmopolitan coffee-shops of Ramallah and the archaeological attractions of ancient Jericho.

Brochures also advise travelers to take in the sites of the Gaza Strip, renowned for its "relaxed seaside atmosphere".

But the glossy pamphlets often also gloss over the complex reality of a highly volatile region.

The ministry's efforts are largely devoted to the myriad attractions of East Jerusalem, which is under illegal Israeli occupation and the Palestinians want back to the capital of their future independent state.

All of Jerusalem is controlled by Israel, which captured the eastern part of the Holy City in its 1967 war against its neighbors. But international law makes it clear that East Jerusalem remains Palestinian.

The Palestinian ministry leaflets also make no mention of Israeli army roadblocks or the controversial separation barrier (known to critics as the 'apartheid wall') that includes an eight-meter- (26-foot-) high concrete wall that cuts off Bethlehem from Jerusalem.

Today, Israel does not allow tourists into besieged, war-ravaged Gaza.

Palestinian tourism minister Khulud Daibes says that while the brochures try to show everything the region has to offer, their actual focus is more realistic.

"We can't promote all the Palestinian territory, so we are focusing on the triangle of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Jericho," she said. "That's where we feel comfortable about safety issues and freedom of movement."

Later this year, she plans to launch a "Jericho 10,000" campaign focusing on the Biblical city.

With its proximity to the Dead Sea, Jericho is already the most popular destination among Palestinian tourists themselves.

However, the minister's greatest challenge is trying to foster and promote tourism to an occupied territory.

The Palestinians no longer have their own airport, and do not even control their border crossings into neighboring Jordan and Egypt.

"It's a challenge for us, how to be innovative and promote tourism under occupation," she said.

"We need to get people to realize that behind the wall there is a good experience waiting, and get them to stay longer on the Palestinian side."

Security is a key aspect in efforts to boost tourism.

"We had a very worried feeling all the time, but everything is okay," said Juan Cruz, 27, from Mexico who visited Bethlehem for Christmas. "Everything is very safe and there are lots of police everywhere, so that is good."

Source: Middle East Online.
Link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=37154.