Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
100
Tourism has a significant impact on Palestine’s economy, contributing to 14% of Palestine’s
GDP.351 But it is important to highlight that approximately 50% of Palestine’s tourism revenues
come from domestic tourism,352 mostly Palestinians living in Israeli territory who visit relatives.
The largest share of inbound international tourism is religious, and globally the most important
one is Christian pilgrimage.353
Since the illegal annexation of East Al Quds by the Israeli government, the situation of Al-Quds
is even more dire, since MoTA is not allowed to operate in the city and there is a lack of
institutional support, and absence of a national umbrella institution capable of supporting the
private sector and coordinating a strategy conducive to sustainable tourism.354 Furthermore, the
Israeli land-planning and zoning system makes it extremely difficult for Palestinians to obtain
permits to build or expand hotels and souvenirs shops in the Muslim quarters.355
East Al Quds merchants and souvenirs shops are also under a lot of pressure due to high taxes
and the fact that the majority of foreign tourists visit the city through Jewish tourist agencies
and with Israeli guides. These provide a disreputable and unsafe image of the Old City among
tourists and encourage them to shop in West Al Quds businesses which curbs the economic
growth of tourism for the local community. They are also subject to disproportionate land taxes
imposed on them which have led to shutting down their factories or threatening their
businesses, putting them in a disadvantageous position and creating a financial pressure which
makes it unprofitable to manufacture their own products and keep their shops open. This reality
is shown in a study conducted in the early 1990s, which concluded that the decline in the
traditional crafts could have been avoided if the Israeli government had provided an economic,
social and legal framework that protected the craftsmen, which would also have helped preserve
a characteristic element of the city’s unique cultural heritage.356
Sustainable Destination Management
Destination Governance
The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) is the authority responsible for all
issues related to tourism in Palestine, including regulations and the development and
implementation of the Palestinian government’s national strategy for tourism. However, laws
pertaining tourism applied today were established in 1965, and do not specify the
responsibilities of institutions, organizations, and other stakeholders in the sector.357 Current
laws and regulations do not consider environmental aspects, protection of touristic and
archeological sites, nor do they include programs to protect the community. This lack of
351 Isaac, R.K. (2018). Moving from pilgrimage to dark tourism? A new kind of tourism in Palestine. T
11(3),149-1641.
352 PALTRADE. (2014). The state of Palestine national export strategy 2014-2018, Retrieved from
353 PALTRADE. (2014). The state of Palestine national export strategy 2014-2018, Retrieved from
354 ATG. (n.d.) Status of tourism legislation in Palestine (ATG 2015) . Retrieved from
355 ATG. (n.d.) Status of tourism legislation in Palestine (ATG 2015) . Retrieved
content/uploads/2014/10/Status-of-Tourism-Legislation-in-Palestine_ATG.pdf.
356 Institute for Palestine Studies. (n.d.). Jerusalem for sale: Souvenirs, tourists and the old city, Elizabeth Price. Retrieved
from
357 ATG. (2017). Sustainable just tourism in Palestine. Retrieved from