Tourism in the Palestinian territories

Tourism in the Palestinian territories refers to tourism in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The tourism industry declined 90% following the Second Intifada in 2000, though it had recovered,[1][2] with 2.6 million tourists in 2009, 1.7 million from abroad.[3] Palestinian Authority's Tourism minister is Khouloud Daibes.[1] Foreign tourism is no longer restricted to the West Bank, due to the opening of the Rafah crossing located between Egypt and the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip.[3]

The Palestinian Authority and Israeli tourism ministries work together on tourism in the Palestinian territories in a Joint Committee.[2] Israel administrates the movement of tourists into the West Bank.[4]

Contents

West Bank

See also: Tourism in Israel

The tourist industry in the West Bank collapsed after the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, but had recovered by the 1990s.[5] Tourism focuses on historical and biblical sites in East Jerusalem and Bethlehem,[5] and the economy of the latter is particularly dependent on tourism. Over 80% of tourists visiting the Palestinian territories go to Bethlehem, mostly for brief visits;[3] occupancy rates in hotels in Bethlehem were only 2.5% in 2005 because most visitors stay in Jerusalem.[4] 60,000 Christian pilgrims visited the Church of the Nativity during Christmas 2007,[1] and around 1.3 million tourists visited Bethlehem in 2008.[6] In 2007 there were over 300,000 guests at Palestinian hotels, half in East Jerusalem.[1]

NGOs including Open Bethlehem and the Alternative Tourism Group promote tourism to the West Bank.[4]

Major sites

Zimmers and biblical attractions

Israeli settlers in the West Bank run vacation cabins called "zimmers" with special amenities for Orthodox Jews.[10] A biblical tourist attraction in Alon, Genesis Land,[11] is visited by Jews, Christians and Muslims, who take part in building Bible-era tents, herding sheep and goats, and drawing water from a well. One of the zimmers is called Abraham's Tent.[12]

Gaza

The climate of the Gaza Strip (an average temperature of 26°C in August) and its 75 km of coastline make it ideal in principle for foreign tourism, which could provide a basis for the economy of Gaza.[13] Tourism between Egypt and Gaza was active before 1967, and Gaza was a resort with hotel casinos, but few tourists visited after the war.[14] A recession in Israel in the mid-80s again reduced tourism in Gaza to almost none.[15]

Before the second intifada, Gaza could be reached by tourists by taking a private taxi via the Erez crossing point, or via a flight to Gaza International Airport. Gaza City had few attractions aside from the Palestine Square bazaar and the beach area, which had hotels, restaurants, and a fishing market.[16] Israeli Arabs visited beaches in Gaza, and there were popular nightclubs.[17]

In 2001, the Palestinian Ministry of Environmental Affairs said that the beaches in Gaza were too polluted with sewage for safe beach tourism and that beach-side construction has been haphazard and unplanned. The Palestinian National Authority identified the Jabalya/Beit Lahya, Gaza City, Nezarim/Wadi Gazi, and Rafah/Khan Yunis beach areas as having potential for the development of beach tourism in 2001.[18] Following the Israeli disengagement from Gaza in August 2005 there were expectations that tourism in Gaza could be developed,[17][19][20] and local people and visitors from the West Bank visited Deir al-Balah as a tourist destination and on honeymoon, but the lack of outside access to Gaza due to the Israeli-enforced blockade since Hamas took power in 2007 now rules out inward tourism. Hamas' vice police are also increasingly imposing strict rules on dress and behaviour at beaches.[21] There are some upmarket hotels such as Al Deira, which opened in 2000, though luxuries like the soaps and shampoos are smuggled from Egypt due to the Israeli blockade. Guests other than journalists and diplomats are rare.[22]

In 2010 Gaza experienced a building boom in the construction of for-profit recreational facilities,[23][24] Some of the new amusement parks and restaurants are Hamas business ventures.[23][25] Among the many new leisure facilities in Gaza are the Crazy Water Park, the Al-Bustan resort (Gaza), and the Bisan City tourist village. Among the many new restaurants are the Roots Club, the Faisal Equestrian Club and the new restaurant at the Gaza Museum of Archaeology which also features a high-end boutique hotel.[26]

Israeli resorts

Before the Israeli evacuation of Gaza, resorts in Israeli settlements included the Palm Beach Hotel in Neve Dekalim.[27] It closed in 2002 due to the second intifada.[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Ferziger, Jonathan (15 May 2008). "Palestinians Pitch Holy Land Holidays as Rockets Sail". Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a4.JJVyTqNwg&refer=home. Retrieved 2 July 2010. 
  2. ^ a b Enz, Cathy A. (2009). Hospitality Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases (2 ed.). John Wiley and Sons. p. 273. ISBN 047008359X. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=x77o93fmiKQC&pg=PA273. 
  3. ^ a b c d Rabinowitz, Gavin (11 February 2010). "Palestinians aim to push tourism beyond Bethlehem". Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatnews/7214355/Palestinians-aim-to-push-tourism-beyond-Bethlehem.html. Retrieved 2 July 2010. 
  4. ^ a b c Kaufman, David; Marisa S. Katz (16 April 2006). "In the West Bank, Politics and Tourism Remain Bound Together Inextricably". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/travel/16westbank.html. Retrieved 2 July 2010. 
  5. ^ a b "Palestinian autonomous areas". Europa World Year Book 2. Taylor & Francis Group. 2004. p. 3327. ISBN Taylor & Francis Group. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gP_-8rXzQs8C&pg=PA3327. 
  6. ^ a b Mitnick, Joshua (26 December 2008). "Calm brings record tourism to Bethlehem". Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2008/1226/p07s05-wome.html. Retrieved 2 July 2010. 
  7. ^ a b c d Kaufman, David; Katz, Marisa S. (April 16, 2006). "In the West Bank, Politics and Tourism Remain Bound Together Inextricably". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/16/travel/16westbank.html. Retrieved July 4, 2010. 
  8. ^ a b c Thomas, Amelia; Kohn, Michael; Raphael, Miriam; Raz, Dan Savery (2010). Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1741044560. 
  9. ^ Bethlehem visitor numbers soar in 2008 says Israel, ENI News
  10. ^ Eldad, Karni (21 April 2010). "Settlers set up West Bank tourism ventures". Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/settlers-set-up-west-bank-tourism-ventures-1.284619. Retrieved 2 July 2010. 
  11. ^ Aisenberg, Lydia (31 July 2008). "Visiting the Patriarchs". Jerusalem Post. http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=109595. Retrieved 2 July 2010. 
  12. ^ Israel Settlers set up West Bank tourism ventures
  13. ^ Cohen, Saul B. (1994). Clive H. Schofield, Richard N. Schofield. ed. The Middle East and North Africa. Gaza viability. Routledge. pp. 121-€“2. ISBN 0415088399. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HnaoYUDsltYC&pg=PA121. 
  14. ^ UPI (9 February 1969). "Feeling Of Resort Now Gone From Gaza Strip". Palm Beach Daily News. http://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?id=dxIuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=F5cFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3290,4167676&dq=tourism+gaza&hl=en. Retrieved 5 July 2010. 
  15. ^ Abed, George T. (1988). The Palestinian economy: studies in development under prolonged occupation. Routledge. p. 113. ISBN 0415004713. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bAMOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA113. 
  16. ^ Winter, Dave (1999). "Gaza Strip". Israel handbook: with the Palestinian Authority areas. Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 1900949482. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZNgzmS4AOtAC&pg=PA431. 
  17. ^ a b Peraino, Kevin (26 September 2005). "On The Beach". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/2005/09/25/on-the-beach.html. Retrieved 5 July 2010. 
  18. ^ Ministry of Environmental Affairs, ed (December 2001). Assessment of land based pollution sources. Palestinian National Authority. http://www.environment.gov.ps/upload_file/8926141252396659.doc. 
  19. ^ Lazaroff, Tovah (7 August 2005). "Dishing up dreams on the Gaza beach". Jerusalem Post. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_8048/is_20050807/ai_n47340924/?tag=content;col1. Retrieved 5 July 2010. 
  20. ^ McGreal, Chris (3 May 2005). "Gaza dreams of life after the Israelis: Fate of abandoned settler homes undecided as Palestinians plan tourist paradise". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/may/03/israel. Retrieved 5 July 2010. 
  21. ^ Heyer, Hazel (9 July 2009). "Forbidden love on Gaza beach". eTurboNews. http://www.eturbonews.com/10286/forbidden-love-gaza-beach. Retrieved 5 July 2010. 
  22. ^ McGirk, Tim (1 July 2009). "The Gaza Strip's Diamond in the Rough". Time. http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1908074,00.html. Retrieved 5 July 2010. 
  23. ^ a b "As the Israeli blockade eases, Gaza goes shopping", Donald Macintyre, 26 July 2010, The Independent.
  24. ^ "New Gaza Leisure Projects Focus on Fun Not Hardship" August 2, 2010, Reuters, New York Times.
  25. ^ [1]"Hamas commercial ventures thrive in Gaza's besieged economy," Mai Yaghi, Agence France Presse (AFP), July 26, 2010, Daily Star.
  26. ^ "Al-Mathaf a Proud Tribute to Gaza’s Past and Future," Sami Abdel-Shafi, August 2010, This Week in Palestine.
  27. ^ Greenberg, Joel (18 December 1994). "The Palm Beach Hotel: Another of Gaza's Many Anomalies". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/18/world/the-palm-beach-hotel-another-of-gaza-s-many-anomalies.html?pagewanted=1. Retrieved 5 July 2010. 
  28. ^ Mitnick, Joshua (24 June 2005). "The Last Holdouts?". The Jewish Week. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-112092323.html. Retrieved 5 July 2010. 

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