From the BBC:
“Bethlehem sees Christmas
tourism boost after two-year Covid hiatus”
Tens of thousands of visitors are
expected to gather in Bethlehem for a Christmas procession, after the town's
economy was badly hit by lockdowns. Two years of muted celebrations have given
way to bustling streets, but numbers have not matched 2019's record. Palestinian
Christians and pilgrims will later attend midnight Mass at the 4th-Century
Nativity Church. Festivities follow a deadly escalation of violence in the
occupied West Bank and Israel. Scout bands playing bagpipes and drummers
escorting church leaders entered Manger Square after making their way from
Jerusalem, ahead of midnight Mass at the nearby Church of the Nativity - which
is built on the site where Jesus Christ is believed to have been born. The
grotto inside the church is the oldest site continuously used as a place of
worship in Christianity.
Accompanying Palestinian
Christians from as far away as Galilee and the Gaza Strip, there are visitors
from around the world. Although numbers are still lower than the record level
seen in 2019, the streets are bustling and just as in the Nativity story, there
is not a room to be found, with local hotels fully booked. While businesspeople
here are optimistic about an economic recovery, there is also concern about the
impact of a recent increase in violence between Israelis and Palestinians and
how the policies of the incoming far-right Israeli government could increase
tensions. The new government, considered the most right-wing in Israel's
history, sees Benjamin Netanyahu's return to a historic sixth term in power. Earlier
this month, Israel said its forces unintentionally killed a 16-year-old
Palestinian girl during a gun battle with militants in the occupied West Bank.
In November, five Palestinian men were killed by Israeli forces in four
separate incidents in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli officials
said.
For Rayson Kamalayos visiting
from India, it is a "dream" to be in Bethlehem. "We as
Christians are blessed to come here, I am happy to be here," he added. After
record tourism numbers in 2019, hopes had been high that 2020 would be even
better - but those hopes were dashed when Covid led to strict lockdowns across
the occupied West Bank. During that time, people had to stay indoors from 19:00
to 06:00 every night and throughout the entire day on Fridays and Saturdays,
the Palestinian weekend, which limited festive family gatherings. Watching the
parade from packed balconies with friends and relatives was not allowed. "The
occupancy rate was over 90%. Everyone was investing in this sector... Now, it's
dead. It's very sad to see," Mariana al-Arja, a hotel manager, told the
BBC two years ago. But now Bethlehem, where the economy is reliant on tourism,
is seeing "more and more tourists", said Palestinian Tourism Minister
Rola Maayah. "Last year we celebrated Christmas during the pandemic and
without any tourists. "This year, we are celebrating Christmas with
tourists that arrive to Palestine, to Bethlehem from all over the world."
^ I visited Bethlehem in October
2017. I wish I could go on Christmas. ^
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