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Palestine, Spain discuss boosting tourism, cultural ties

October 10, 2019 at 3:24 pm

Palestinians shop at a market in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on 3 June 2019 [Abedalrahman Hassan/Apaimages]

Palestinian Authority (PA) Minister of Tourism Rola Ma’ay’a met and discussed with the General Consul of Spain Ignacio García-Valdecasas, measures to further bilateral and constructive cooperation between the two sides, in the field of tourism and cultural heritage.

The meeting took place at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Bethlehem, during which Ma’ay’a pointed out how difficult the situation is at the moment due to violations inflicted by the Israeli occupation forces.

She stressed the importance of creating a network between the Spanish and Palestinian tourism sectors, as well as enhancing their cooperation to increase the number of Spanish tourists visiting Palestine each year, describing it as a unique tourist destination.

Earlier this year, Ma’ay’a said tourists had spent 433,187 nights in hotels in the Palestinian territories during the first quarter of 2019, compared to 330,370 during the same period last year, a 31.1 per cent increase.

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Palestine’s tourism sector now includes some 250 hotels in the Palestinian territories with a capacity of 10,100 rooms, and thousands of hostels, restaurants and shops selling handicrafts.

Ma’ay’a described the tactics used by Israeli occupation forces to impede the growth of the Palestinian tourism sector, including the closure of historical places and archaeological sites, roadblocks and incursions into Palestinian cities and camps, as well as the continued destruction of Palestinian villages and homes.