WEST BANK: Businesses in Bethlehem hoping for a successful Christmas season as rising numbers of tourists visit the West Bank city after a lull of several years

Record ID: 564823

  • Title: WEST BANK: Businesses in Bethlehem hoping for a successful Christmas season as rising numbers of tourists visit the West Bank city after a lull of several years
  • Date: 22nd December 2013
  • Summary: BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF 'BETHLEHEM HOTEL' PALESTINIAN FLAG AT HOTEL ENTRANCE TOURISTS IN LOBBY FLAGS IN LOBBY VARIOUS OF TOURISTS WALKING UP STAIRS VARIOUS OF DECORATED CHRISTMAS TREE IN LOBBY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HOTEL OWNER, ELIAS AL-ARJA, SAYING: "I can see that every hotel in Bethlehem is satisfied with the situation and happy about it. Many have renovated or upgraded and built more floors to increase the number of rooms, and they are doing well. So whoever increased the number of rooms and prepared well is enjoying good business and is satisfied." BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (DECEMBER 16, 2013) (REUTERS) TOURISTS IN SOUVENIR SHOP VARIOUS OF SHOP OWNER, MAHER KANAWATI, SELLING HIS PRODUCTS TO TOURISTS VARIOUS OF FIGURINES CARVED FROM OLIVE WOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SOUVENIR SHOP OWNER, MAHER KANAWATI, SAYING: "This year has been a great year for us and especially during the Christmas season. All the hotels here are full of tourists, we see a lot of tourists on the streets and hopefully there will be more tourists next week, the week of Christmas." VARIOUS OF FIGURINES CARVED FROM OLIVE WOOD (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOURIST FROM INDONESIA, KLARES, SAYING: "This is a very good place and very holy places and for me as a spiritual, I can feel peace, you know, and it is a very good and friendly people around here in Palestine." BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (RECENT) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF PALESTINIAN MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES LOGO OF PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY PALESTINIAN MINISTER OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES, RULA MA'AYAH, IN OFFICE MINISTER'S NAME WRITTEN ON NAME PLAQUE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MINISTER OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES, RULA MA'AYAH, SAYING: "There has been brisk movement, especially in the two years of 2012 and 2013, where there was a huge jump in the tourism sector, in terms of tourists staying in Palestinian hotels and in terms of the number of tourists who have come to Palestine and especially to Bethlehem during the Christmas season." PHOTO OF PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS ON OFFICE WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MINISTER OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES, RULA MA'AYAH, SAYING: "The (Israeli) barrier makes it difficult for all tourists to enter Bethlehem, because at any moment, the Israeli authorities could close the gate and at any moment, they could hinder or delay entry for tourists." TOURIST BUS WAITING AT ISRAELI CHECKPOINT AT THE ENTRANCE TO BETHLEHEM ISRAELI SOLDIER CHECKING VEHICLE OPEN GATE AT WEST BANK BARRIER ISRAELI WATCH TOWER VARIOUS OF TOURISTS AT MANGER SQUARE BELL TOWER AT CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY TOURISTS ARRIVING AT MANGER SQUARE TOUR GUIDE LEADING GROUP OF TOURISTS TOURISTS ENTERING CHURCH (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF BETHLEHEM, ABED AL-NASER ALAWEE, SAYING: "It is encouraging for people here when they see tourists coming from all over the world to visit this holy place where Jesus was born. It also develops the Palestinian economy here in Bethlehem. It is very good that the tourists come here and stay in Bethlehem." VARIOUS OF TOURISTS IN CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY
  • Embargoed: 6th January 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: Business,Education
  • Reuters ID: LVAC0U9LKI7DUY1WMN4BLK0JTEO0
  • Story Text: Bethlehem hoteliers and traders have good reason to hope for a Happy Christmas this year, as large numbers of tourists start to arrive in the city for the season's festivities.
    The tourist industry has been consistently on the rise in recent years and 2013 is expected to bring even better results.
    Hotel owners say they have seen strong booking figures for the Christmas season.
    "I can see that every hotel in Bethlehem is satisfied with the situation and happy about it. Many have renovated or upgraded and built more floors to increase the number of rooms, and they are doing well. So whoever increased the number of rooms and prepared well is enjoying good business and is satisfied," said Elias al-Arja, who owns three of the city's 47 hotels.
    During the height of the intifada, or Palestinian uprising against Israel, many tourists avoided the town.
    Israel's 2002 siege of the Church of the Nativity, where militants took sanctuary during the uprising, deterred many from visiting.
    But violence has fallen dramatically in recent years and more than two million people now visit Bethlehem every year.
    Merchants who earn their living selling souvenirs carved out of olive wood said they were feeling the benefits of the more peaceful atmosphere.
    "This year has been a great year for us and especially during the Christmas season. All the hotels here are full of tourists, we see a lot of tourists on the streets and hopefully there will be more tourists next week, the week of Christmas," said shop owner, Maher Kanawati.
    Tourists were also upbeat about their visit to Bethlehem.
    "This is a very good place and very holy places and for me as a spiritual, I can feel peace, you know, and it is a very good and friendly people around here in Palestine," said Klares, a tourist from Indonesia.
    Tourism is a major source of revenue for the local economy. Around 5,000 families in Bethlehem alone depend on it and it accounts for 14 percent of the Palestinian economy as a whole.
    Palestinian tourism minister, Rula Ma'ayah, said the past two years had been particularly successful.
    "There has been brisk movement, especially in the two years of 2012 and 2013, where there was a huge jump in the tourism sector, in terms of tourists staying in Palestinian hotels and in terms of the number of tourists who have come to Palestine and especially to Bethlehem during the Christmas season," she said.
    But despite the improvement since the intifada years, the industry still faces serious constraints.
    Ma'ayah said the eight-metre (25 feet) concrete barrier separating Bethlehem from Jerusalem was a significant obstacle, with tourists having to pass through a steel gate controlled by Israeli troops to enter the city.
    "The (Israeli) barrier makes it difficult for all tourists to enter Bethlehem, because at any moment, the Israeli authorities could close the gate and at any moment, they could hinder or delay entry for tourists," she said.
    Many tourists choose to make day-trips to Bethlehem, and stay in hotels in nearby Jerusalem.
    But Bethlehem residents were still cheered by the sight of so many visitors in their city.
    "It is encouraging for people here when they see tourists coming from all over the world to visit this holy place where Jesus was born. It also develops the Palestinian economy here in Bethlehem. It is very good that the tourists come here and stay in Bethlehem," said Abed al-Naser Alawee.
    Bethlehem's main attraction is the 4th century Church of the Nativity, built over a grotto where Christian tradition says Jesus was born.
    The building, which was placed on UNESCO's list of endangered World Heritage sites last year, is currently under restoration - the first comprehensive renovation of the church since it was completed 1700 years ago.
    The Christmas season in the city lasts until the end of Eastern Orthodox Christmas on January 7 and Armenian Christmas on January 18.
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