On World Tourism Day, Tourism in Jerusalem Is “Virtually at a Standstill”

Palestinian Jerusalemites witness another World Tourism Day while tourism in their city is nearly nonexistent. In the last two years of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, several tourism agencies have closed their offices, moved their operations home, laid off employees, sold their assets, or even completely shut down. A city that relies heavily on tourism, Jerusalem has been hit by merciless consequences of war.

Gabriel Abdalla, a Jerusalem tourism icon, owned and operated Sindbad Tourist Travel Agency & Travel Co. Ltd., ran ticket offices, and owned tourism buses. Speaking to Jerusalem Story, Gabriel said he sold his 10 tour buses to pay full compensation to his staff and to relieve some bank debt building up from the cost of maintaining the buses, paying their insurance, and the bus drivers in the face of an evaporated market. In the two years of war, Gabriel says he has not earned “a cent.”1 Meanwhile, bills and expenses accumulated.

Another Jerusalem tour agency operator, Rami Zeidan, reported to Jerusalem Story a similar financial burden, which pushed him to close his business. He also cited the negligible tourism since October 7, 2023, the closed offices, and the large numbers of young people in the field who have been unemployed for two years.2 

The owner and manager of the Jerusalem Hotel and leading activist for promoting tourism in Jerusalem, Raed Saadeh, told Jerusalem Story that the bulk of the tourism industry is devastated, although a few companies have managed to stay open and receive some visitors. The Jerusalem Hotel, for instance, has been able to recover some losses because the hotel “relies primarily on accommodating visiting foreign journalists and their news agencies,” which choose the hotel for its strategic location just across from Damascus Gate.3

Tony Khashram, former president of the Holy Land Incoming Tour Operators Association and a commentator and critic of tourism service providers, said there are 19 Palestinian hotels and 13 guesthouses in East Jerusalem. The Ritz Ambassador Boutique, the Holyland, Christmas Hotel, and the Metropol have faced either partial or entire closures. Some hotels have sent staff home and now operate based on need. Declining tourism has not only impacted hotels, guides, and buses; souvenir shops and artistic workshops are also out of work and, indirectly, meat suppliers, cleaners, and other service providers have been hit hard as well.4

Durning the holy month of Ramadan, East Jerusalem usually welcomes 10 to 15 buses of Muslim worshippers arriving to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque each day, but recent economic conditions have minimized visits even of Palestinians from the north, from the Galilee and triangle areas, Tony tells Jerusalem Story.

Relief to the struggling Palestinian tourism industry has been minimal. Israeli compensation constituted a one-time subsidy to hotels ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, said Tony, as they were not considered directly affected by the war as were the hotels in northern or southern Israel, where citizens were displaced due to safety concerns.

Tony added that the Kuwait Development Fund supported tourism workers with $500 per month mainly aimed at training and subsidies via local NGOs in Ramallah, with the hope they become employed once the Gaza genocide ends. The European Union provided a small grant in January 2024 that was mostly directed at training and equipment for tourism services rather than direct aid. Nothing has been provided since then.

In a call to the local and global community about the urgency of the tourism sector in East Jerusalem, Raed says that “through sharing and exchange, we protect human heritage, preserve cultural diversity, and contribute to its preservation.” Jerusalem is one of the world’s most important tourist destinations, he notes, and local leaders call the national and international communities not to stop visiting or hesitate to visit Jerusalem, as incoming tourism contributes to breaking the siege and sustaining the Palestinian community.