Mideast Violence Impacts Jerusalem Tourism.
By Art Chimes (VOA-Jerusalem)
Violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories has been a constant feature of news programs around the world news since the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa uprising in September. Concerned for their security, many potential visitors are staying home. In an area where tourism is a key sector of the economy, the impact is dramatic. And nowhere more than in Jerusalem.
A reporter returning to Jerusalem after a year notices one thing immediately: there are simply fewer vehicles on the road. Traffic now moves passably well in a city legendary for its gridlock. It is still plenty busy, but there are fewer tour buses on the road, and many local visitors are choosing not to come downtown. Either that or they do their business and get out.
Jerusalem actually has not been hit particularly hard by the violence of the intifada, but as the place most dependent on tourism, it is where the absence of tourists hurts the most.
Israeli officials emphasize the high level of security in Jerusalem, and insist it is safe. In an unusual move, the Government Press Office sponsored a news conference featuring a onetime U.S. presidential candidate and television preacher, the Reverend Pat Robertson, who urged Christians to visit the Holy Land. "I am here with my wife and I think that is, in itself, a statement to the American Christian community that it is safe in Israel to come and to visit the holy sites and to travel in this nation," he said.
"Granted, there have been some acts which have been highly publicized, but in the broader scheme of things it's probably no more dangerous to be in Jerusalem than it is to be in New York City."
