There is once again no room at the inn in Bethlehem as the Palestinian city prepares for its first Christmas season after two years of pandemic restrictions.
This Christmas week, 120,000 tourists and pilgrims from around the world are expected to visit the occupied West Bank city, home to the Byzantine Church of the Nativity, which stands on the site where Jesus is believed to have been born. The forecast figures for 2022 are almost at the level of 2019, when Bethlehem saw an all-time high of 150,000 visitors and a total of 3 million visitors in the same period.
On a mild, sunny mid-December afternoon, hundreds of local and international tourists stopped to view a nativity scene and posed for selfies in front of the huge Christmas tree in Manger Square next to the church. As daylight began to fade, festive lights blazed throughout the city center, and a band DJed at a nearby restaurant.
Historically one of the most important centers of Christianity, the majority of Bethlehem’s population is now Muslim, but the city is still home to a thriving Christian community and many Christian orders.
“I’m Muslim, but I love Christmas. I’ve been coming to Bethlehem every year since I was a child,” said street vendor Majed Hamdan, 21, who was selling Santa hats and face masks in the square.
“People are definitely back this year. The atmosphere is very different.”
Tourism is an important sector of the Palestinian economy, accounting for about 15% of the Palestinian Authority’s gross domestic product. Because the territories have no airport, most international visitors enter via Israel, crossing checkpoints in Israel’s West Bank Wall, which separates the two holy cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, despite being only 10 km apart.
Covid-19 has decimated Bethlehem’s tourism industry: the hotels, restaurants, olive wood processing and souvenir shops have lost an estimated US$200 million (£164 million) during the two-year closure, the local community has estimated. Unlike other governments, the ailing Palestinian Authority offered no financial aid to Palestinian business owners or the city’s 8,000 workers, making the pandemic a grueling challenge.
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But this year, too, the 5,000 hotel rooms in Bethlehem are fully booked again. Some visitors to Israel and the Palestinian Territories choose the West Bank city for the duration of their trip as it is much cheaper than Jerusalem.
“Covid has been very tough. We are a family business, we have been here for 90 years. The business ebbs and flows with the political situation, but we’ve never had anything like the pandemic,” said Nabil Giacaman, a third-generation woodworker and owner of art and sculpture shop Il Bambino.
“I’m still worried because there’s inflation and money problems everywhere, and even when tourists come, they don’t have that much to spend. Still… it’s a lot better now than before.”
Even as the pandemic has eased, 2022 was still difficult here: This year was the bloodiest in the decade-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Jerusalem and the West Bank in 17 years, with about 150 Palestinians and 30 Israelis killed. Fighting in the north of the occupied territory has been largely contained, but the Israeli army killed a teenager in a refugee camp on the outskirts of Bethlehem earlier this month, prompting a day-long city-wide strike in protest.
But amidst the golden mosaics, candles and incense sticks in Emperor Justinian’s 1,500-year-old Church of the Nativity, no visitor seemed concerned about the possibility of violence. Tour guides, working in several different languages, patiently guided hundreds of foreigners through the church’s tiny entrance and explained the many layers of religion and history inside.
“I’ve always wanted to pray under the star where Jesus was born, and now I finally have the opportunity,” said Dorothy Wise, a 70-year-old American woman who has been touring with her church group. “Actually, we planned this a while ago, so it’s great to finally be here.”
Fabio Vecchio, 36, was wandering around Bethlehem with a small group of friends from Milan. “I’m not really religious, but we enjoy our visit. It feels special to be here during the Christmas season,” he said.
Bethlehem residents are also determined to continue this year’s celebrations: the busy December program includes hosting international delegations and performances by artists and singers before celebrations culminate with midnight mass on Christmas Eve.
“This city is nothing without pilgrims and of course Christmas is the best time of year here,” said William Ghattas, 54, a monk at the church, who was sipping coffee outside in the sun. “It’s wonderful to be able to welcome people back to us.”