RAMALLAH, March 7, 2012 (WAFA) - The total number of guests in Palestinian hotels was 137,000, spending 362,000 nights during the fourth quarter of 2011, said a report by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) published Wednesday.

It said that 34% of guests were from European Union countries, 11% were Palestinian, 18% were from other European countries, 10% were from Asia, and 6% were from USA and Canada.

Room occupancy was 27% in the fourth quarter, a decrease of 41% compared to the fourth quarter of 2010 in which the number of guests decreased by 20%.

In comparison to the third quarter of 2011, there was an increase of 21% in room occupancy, while the number of nights guests stayed in hotels increased by 30%.

The largest concentration of hotels is found in the Bethlehem area in the south of the West Bank where 28 hotels with 2,185 rooms and 4,500 beds are found. It is followed by Jerusalem where 28 hotels with 1,455 rooms and 3,051 beds are found, then the Ramallah area in the center of the West Bank where 27 hotels with 1,343 rooms and 3,388 beds are found.

Eight hotels with 223 rooms and 637 beds are located in the northern West Bank and 12 hotels with 627 rooms and 1,183 beds are in the Gaza Strip.

T.R./M.S.