Tourism in Palestine is 'dying' along with Israel.

Not only are hotels across Israel deserted of tourists , but tourist destinations in Palestine are also empty.

In early October, the main square and surrounding streets of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Palestine, were bustling with tourists. But this scene quickly became deserted after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th.

"Business has been at a standstill since the war started. The roads are cut off, nobody is coming," said Essa Abu Dawoud, a tour guide in Palestine.

Tourism in Palestine is dying along with Israel. — ***The area outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem was deserted on October 11.*** Photo: Reuters

Across Israel and Palestine, hotels are empty. Six local tour companies have canceled all tours to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv as the conflict escalates. Two other travel companies are even delaying tours until next year. Many international tour companies are changing itineraries to take tourists to neighboring regions such as Jordan and Egypt.

Cruise ships scheduled to dock in Israel have been diverted. Major airlines worldwide have suspended flights to and from the country. Governments are working to repatriate their citizens.

The InterContinental hotel chain announced that two of its Six Senses Shaharut and Hotel Indigo Tel Aviv - Diamond properties have closed due to a lack of guests. Many customers who had made reservations have canceled or postponed their stays until later in the year. Isrotel, a leading hotel chain in Israel, is also facing the prospect of closing some of its properties.

The "exodus" of international tourists due to the war is a major blow to Israel's lucrative tourism industry, which accounts for 2.8% of GDP and provides 3.5% of jobs. Israel's population is over 9 million.

The coming months will be the busiest time of year for pilgrims and tourists from around the world, especially the US and Europe. But this year things could be different.

"We've been through the crisis because of Covid-19 and we're still recovering, waiting for tourists to come back," said Khader Hussein, 30, a souvenir seller in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. "We rely on tourism to live, but now the tourism industry is dead," he added.

Attracted by the historical sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, as well as the white sandy beaches of Tel Aviv, approximately 3 million tourists flocked to Israel in the first nine months of this year, according to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics. This figure is close to pre-pandemic levels. During the week Hamas attacked Israel, around 90,000 tourists were in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Elias al-Arja, head of the Arab Hotel Association, said most hotels in the West Bank spent the past week helping tourists flee after the violence began. Elias said about 90% of hotels in the West Bank (located in both Israeli and Palestinian territory) are empty. Meanwhile, 50% of hotel rooms in Israel, equivalent to 28,000 rooms, are being used to house families displaced from near the Gaza Strip, according to Yael Danieli, president of the Israel Hotel Association.

The Dan hotel chain said its properties in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Herzliya are being used for evacuees. Isrotel, which has hotels in the Red Sea region, is doing the same. Dan is offering a 50% discount on room rates for locals.

"There is no immediate solution to the conflict, and it's unclear when foreign tourists will be able to return," said travel expert Joanna Plucinska, who lives in Brussels, Belgium.

According to vnexpress.net

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