PALESTINIAN ECONOMIC BULLETIN 183 - Dec 2021
Main Reports
- A number of key events focusing on technology, innovation and entrepreneurship were held across Palestine in November and December
- The biannual meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee convened on 17 November
- The international ministerial conference on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) was convened in Brussels on 16 November 2021
- Al-Quds index increased by 2.9% in November from the previous month, reaching 600 points on the last day of trading
Christmas in Bethlehem: Pandemic Aborts Tourism Recovery
As Palestinians lit the Christmas tree outside Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity on 4 December in preparation for the holiday season, the struggling tourism businesses in the West Bank were preparing themselves for yet another downturn, following the announcement of a new coronavirus outbreak earlier that week.1 On 6 December,
Israel closed its (and Palestine’s) borders to non-citizens for 14-days as a prevention measure against the Omicron variant, dashing all hopes of much-needed income from tourists and pilgrims during this Christmas season.2 Around 80% of Bethlehem residents depend on tourism.3 The city has been struggling since the start of the coronavirus pandemic two years ago, and many businesses have been forced to close and let go of their staff.4
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