From Pilgrimage to Dark Tourism? a New Kind of Tourism in Palestine

Tourism has long been important to Palestine. Many of the Holy Land’s historical and religious sites are located in Palestinian areas – in Bethlehem, Jericho, Nablus, Hebron, and East Jerusalem. Tourism currently contributes 14 percent of Palestine’s gross domestic product (GDP). About half this revenue comes from domestic tourists, mainly Palestinians living in Israel; most of the rest comes from international tourists who arrive on pilgrimages to Christian religious sites.

After the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority in 1993, several essential steps were taken to market and encourage tourism development in Palestine. The first was an economic agreement signed between Palestine and Israel in May 1994 (Alternative Tourism Journal 2004). This economic agreement was focused on the free movements of tourists in and within the West bank and the Gaza Strip. The second was the establishment of the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities which took responsibility for recognizing and supporting the tourism industry in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Ministry accomplished a lot, reorganizing internal transportation, developing tourism agencies and restaurants, and rehabilitating religious and cultural events. Palestine’s tourism industry, however, is fundamentally controlled by Israel which has a stranglehold on the flow of international tourists, from issuing visas to flights, lodging, and the provision of Israeli guides and tours within the country (Isaac & Ashworth 2012). All major Palestinian cities also have Israeli checkpoints which control who enters and exists these cities, including tourists. What lead to this situation? And might the Occupation, ironically, provide a new tourism outlet?