FEATURE: Bethlehem’s Christmas market brings festive tourism to Palestine

As Bethlehem opened its Christmas market today, officials in the Palestinian city were hopeful that a profitable festive season would round off a successful year of tourism.

“It’s been an excellent year,” said mayor Victor Batarseh who pointed towards a halving in local unemployment and revealed that 1.25 million visitors were expected by the end of 2008.
“We don’t have any empty beds. Two years ago, all the hotels were empty.”

Tourism in the biblical birthplace of Jesus was devastated during the second intifada, the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation, which began in 2000 and ended in June 2006 after Hamas signed a truce with Israeli Authority.

Eight years on however and the Palestinian city located in central West Bank has experienced a boom in the number of travellers and pilgrims visiting the region. “We have witnessed a rebound in tourism,” said the Palestinian Authority’s tourism minister, Khouloud Daibes-Abu Dayyeh as she toured the market looking at the handicrafts and festive decorations on sale from the wooden booths.

Daibes-Abu Dayyeh also emphasised that hotel occupancy rates are now typically above 70 per cent as compared to 10 per cent just a few years ago. “We have put Palestine back on the map as a destination”.

However, many Palestinians believe that the Israeli-constructed walls and fences surrounding the the West Bank discourage travellers and prevent tourism from reaching its full potential.

"The tourists believe the Israelis - they’re scared of the Palestinians and they leave their money behind when they come here. It would be better without the wall, the occupation.” said Khalil Salahat whose souvenir stall is packed with olive wood crucifixes and Nativity cribs.

“Unless the occupation stops, we will always be under economic stress and psychological stress,” Mayor Batarseh added.

However, Palestinian officials are still hopeful that tourism can help overcome the difficulties facing the region.

Daibes-Abu Dayyeh explained, “We see tourism as a tool to achieve peace in the Holy Land … and to break the isolation from the outside world.”