This archive report was first published on 23 December 2019.
Christmas in Bethlehem is a time of great celebration, but for the city's residents, it's also a reminder of the challenges they face in attracting and retaining tourists.
According to the Palestinian Hotel Association, less than a third of the three million tourists who visit Bethlehem every year spend at least one night there, with most heading straight back through the Israeli checkpoint and out of the occupied West Bank.
The city's 50-odd hotels are fully booked during the peak season around Christmas Day, but they struggle to ensure occupancy rates throughout the year.
One of the main reasons for this is the way in which Israeli tour operators organize visits to the city. Many tourists visit with Israel-based travel agents that 'control' the length of visits in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
Samir Hazboun, head of the Bethlehem chamber of commerce, said the city was trying to diversify its offerings and attract more tourists who would stay longer. 'Tourists can visit many other cultural and historical places,' he said, pointing to the site of one of King Herod's former palaces and the UNESCO-listed village of Battir.
But despite these efforts, the city still struggles to benefit from the influx of tourists. Elias Al-Arja, president of the Palestinian Hotel Association, pointed out that while the number of hotels had increased fivefold in 20 years, infrastructure, in particular for water and power, still lags behind.
However, the city is finding new ways to attract tourists, including through its street art scene. Many visitors come to admire the graffiti and stencil pictures on the separation barrier Israel began erecting in 2002 during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising.
One of the most popular attractions is the 'Walled-Off Hotel', which was opened in 2017 by Banksy. The hotel's manager, Wissam Salsaa, said many guests had never dreamed of visiting Bethlehem or the West Bank until the hotel was established.
"Banksy has contributed a lot to non-classical tourism in Bethlehem," he said, estimating that 250,000 people had visited the hotel in the two years since it opened.
