BETHLEHEM: Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Rula Maayaa said today that the tourism sector has incurred significant losses as a result of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, which is expected to reach $200 million by the end of this year, at a rate of $2.5 million per day, of which 60%, or $1.5 million, for Bethlehem and area cities.
She told WAFA in an exclusive interview that they were counting on an increase in the number of tourists after the coronavirus pandemic and things were moving in the right direction as the number of arrivals in the year 2023, until the beginning of last October, reached 2.3 million tourists, with 1.9 million overnight stays.
She said that the number of tourists arriving in Bethlehem before the aggression reached approximately 1.5 million tourists, with one million overnight stays, noting that the most visiting nationalities were Americans 14%, Russians 6%, Romanians 6%, Polish 6%, Italians 4%, Spanish 4%, and the most overnight stays were Romanians 20%,
Polish 15%, Americans 12%, and Indians 9%.
‘Christmas this year comes as we are going through the most difficult and darkest circumstances and times as a result of what our people and families are suffering in the besieged Gaza Strip, and in the West Bank, including Jerusalem,’ said Maayaa. ‘While the world is celebrating Christmas, the city of the birth of Christ is sad, silent, depressed, in pain, and completely besieged. No one can reach it or leave it. Its people are without work, and without hope, as a result of the disruption and cessation of the tourism activities, which are the backbone of its economy. We receive the Christmas message by rejecting injustice and aggression, and we will pray for peace to come to the land of peace.’
The Minister stressed that ‘the decision of the heads of churches in the Holy Land to limit Christmas celebrations to religious ceremonies and rituals came as a cry of protest, anguish, and pain over what is happening in this Holy Land of injustice and aggression, and it al
so came in the context of the sadness of the believers who are waiting for Christmas, as a beacon of hope, to enlighten the minds and hearts of all human beings, to call for peace in the land of peace.’
She pointed out that the aggression against Gaza affected important archaeological sites in the Gaza Strip, some of which were destroyed, and others were partially damaged, namely: the archaeological port of Gaza, which is listed on the preliminary list of World Heritage, the Omari Mosque in Gaza City, which was almost destroyed, and the Church of Porphyrios, which is considered one of the oldest churches in the world. Parts of the buildings attached to the church, the Al-Omari Mosque, and the minaret of the Court Mosque (Shujaia) were destroyed.
The bombing also affected the ancient Othman Qashqar Mosque, east of Gaza City, the Rashad Al-Shawwa Cultural Center, the Gaza Municipality Library, the largest public library in Gaza City, the Pasha Palace Archaeological Museum, and the destruction of several museu
ms, including the Al-Qarara Museum in Khan Yunis Governorate, the Rafah Museum, and the Monastery of St. Hilarion (Tell Umm Amer), which is listed on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites, the Roman cemetery and an ancient church in Jabalia, Beit al-Saqqa, the destruction of two laboratories for the restoration and maintenance of archaeological manuscripts, and a group of historical neighborhoods in Gaza, including the Al-Zaytoun, Al-Daraj and Al-Shuja’iya neighborhoods, and the central archive of the Gaza municipality, in addition to Dozens of historical buildings, and a group of memory museums located in the Gaza Strip, in addition to many other monuments and archaeological sites.
Maayaa said that targeting these sites is targeting the cultural identity of the Palestinian people, stressing that cultural property must be fully protected under relevant international agreements and laws such as the Hague Convention of 1907, the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, the UNESCO conventions, and other internati
onal conventions and norms.
She called on all institutions of the international community to take immediate action to stop this aggression and to stop the crimes of the occupation against the Palestinians and their heritage, and on the United Nations and UNESCO to take immediate action to protect the national heritage of Palestine, which carries within it humanitarian messages that have been transmitted through history and have been an essential part of the human civilization.
The Tourism Minister pointed out that the number of hotels in Bethlehem reached 78, with 5,210 rooms and 2,500 employees, while the number of tourism and travel offices reached 35, souvenir shops 90 with 2,000 employees, and traditional crafts workshops approximately 45 with more than 2,000 craftsmen, 25 restaurants catering to tourists with an average of 400 employees.
She said the total number of employees working directly in the tourism sector in Bethlehem reached 7,800 employees.
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WA
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