Tourists trickle back to holy sites in Bethlehem as coronavirus restrictions ease

Record ID: 1627701

  • Title: Tourists trickle back to holy sites in Bethlehem as coronavirus restrictions ease
  • Date: 20th July 2021
  • Summary: BETHLEHEM (JULY 10, 2021) (REUTERS) TOUR BUS ARRIVING OUTSIDE SOUVENIR SHOP TOURISTS ENTERING SHOP THROUGH METAL DETECTOR OLIVE WOOD FIGURE OF JESUS INSIDE SHOP DECORATED METAL ELEPHANT SHOP KEEPER WITH TOURIST INSIDE SOUVENIR SHOP INTERIOR OF SOUVENIR SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN IN THE SOUVENIR BUSINESS, IBRAHIM TANNAS, SAYING: "It looks hopeful, small numbers have started coming (the tourists) as a trial, there have been 22 groups a month between June and July, for all the area of course, all of Palestine, and the Holy Land." TOURISTS INSIDE SOUVENIR SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN IN THE SOUVENIR BUSINESS, IBRAHIM TANNAS, SAYING: "Things are normal here, everything is fine, most people are vaccinated, and people from abroad are vaccinated, we call upon them (tourists) to come, and to confirm their bookings, we welcome them because everything is fine." TOURISTS STANDING OUTSIDE BUS TOURISTS ENTERING OLIVE WOOD FACTORY OLIVE WOOD FIGURES OF THE CROSS IN FACTORY SHOW ROOM SALESMAN SHOWING TOURISTS A PRODUCT AN OLIVE WOOD FIGURE OF THE LAST SUPPER BETHLEHEM (JULY 13, 2021) (REUTERS) PALESTINIAN MINISTER OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES RULA MA'AYAH SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MINISTER OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES RULA MA'AYAH SAYING: "It is very hard to provide precise expectations, but a lot of people in the tourism sector used to say that it will take us a long time to go back to what it used to be, but recently, but when they saw the requests for bookings, although there are still major restrictions on travel due to the coronavirus, they became more optimistic, I think that if the coronavirus issue is finished, whether through vaccination or else, then we would be able to go back to the period prior to it relatively quickly. Before the coronavirus we had around 3.5 million tourists that arrived to Palestine." PLAQUE ON WALL FOR THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MINISTER OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES RULA MA'AYAH SAYING: "A lot of people now remember how they used to complain about the number of tourist busses that used to enter into Bethlehem, and we used to talk about how much they would obstruct movement, now we wish we'd see a tourist bus entering Bethlehem, we hope that tourism will go back to the prior state and better." BETHLEHEM (JULY 10, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NATIVITY CHURCH BELLS TOLLING (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOUR GUIDE FROM JERUSALEM, FOUTEH MIKAEL, SAYING: "To be honest, for almost 18 months we had no one, just two weeks ago I had my first group and today I have my second group from here from the (United) states." TOURISTS INSIDE CHURCH OF NATIVITY LISTENING TO TOUR GUIDE STAR OF BETHLEHEM PRIEST INSIDE CHURCH OF NATIVITY, CARRYING A POT OF INCENSE WAVING IT INSIDE CHURCH VARIOUS OF TOURISTS TAKING PICTURES OF THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM INSIDE CHURCH TOURISTS TOUCHING STAR OF BETHLEHEM GROUP OF TOURISTS STANDING INSIDE CHURCH AROUND TOUR GUIDE MOSAIC FLOOR INSIDE CHURCH (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOUR OPERATOR FOR MARANATHA TOURS, FROM PHOENIX ARIZONA, SHAY CHALFANT, SAYING: "It is very exciting to be back, and we just can't wait for things to pick up and have more people brought into the Holy Land." TOURISTS ENTERING THE CHURCH OF NATIVITY DRONE FOOTAGE OF TOURISTS ENTERING THE CHURCH OF NATIVITY IN BETHLEHEM (MUTE)
  • Embargoed: 3rd August 2021 10:00
  • Keywords: Bethlehem Coronavirus Restrictions Foreign Tourism Palestinian Occupied Terrirories Tourism
  • Location: BETHLEHEM
  • City: BETHLEHEM
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Middle East
  • Reuters ID: LVA001EMNAP1X
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:After more than a year of COVID-19 travel restrictions, tourists slowly trickle back to the city of Bethlehem providing a glimmer of hope to a city heavily reliant on tourism revenue.
    Bethlehem witnessed a record-breaking tourism season back in 2019 before the pandemic shut tourist sites, ordered people on lockdown and banned international travel.
    According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the sector's losses in 2020 is estimated at around $1.02 billion, a 68% decrease from the previous year.
    "A lot of people now remember how they used to complain about the number of tourist busses that used to enter into Bethlehem, and we used to talk about how much they would obstruct movement, now we wish we'd see a tourist bus entering Bethlehem," said the Palestinian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Rula Ma'ayah.
    A recovery strategy developed by the ministry to restart tourism included vaccinating all sector workers and providing training on how to deal with tourists through the pandemic.
    A plan to allow twenty tourist groups a month to visit holy sites was initiated in June and has continued throughout July.
    "To be honest, for almost 18 months we had no one, just two weeks ago I had my first group and today I have my second group from here from the (United) states, said tour guide Fouteh Mikael, while standing outside the Church of Nativity.
    Up until mid-June Some 30% of eligible Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have received at least one vaccine dose, according to Palestinian officials.
    (Production: Mohammad abu Ganeyeh, Yousri al-Jamal, Nuha Sharaf)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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