RAMALLAH, September 25, 2025 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) reported that tourism indicators in Palestine during the first half of 2025 show a notable improvement compared to the previous year, despite the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.

According to a statement issued by PCBS on Thursday for World Tourism Day 2025, the number of hotel guests in the West Bank rose by approximately 103% during the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. A total of 121,400 guests stayed in hotels, accounting for around 255,400 overnight stays.

Ramallah and Al-Bireh received the largest share of guests at 35% of the total, followed by Jericho with 22.1%, Bethlehem with 20%, and Nablus with 18%.

The data also showed that 53.3% of hotel guests were Palestinian visitors from the 1948 territories, 24.7% were local Palestinians, and the remaining 22% were from other nationalities.

Labor force data for the second quarter of 2025 showed a 40% increase in employment in tourism-related activities in the West Bank compared to the same period in 2024. A total of 33,400 workers were employed in the sector, representing 5.3% of the total workforce.

Meantime in Gaza, estimates indicate that systematic destruction by Israeli attacks has severely damaged tourism infrastructure, with around 4,992 facilities destroyed. These include 3,450 restaurants and beverage outlets (69.1% of Gaza’s tourism facilities), 921 facilities in creative arts, entertainment, and other recreational activities (18.4%), 182 handicraft and souvenir shops, and 173 hotels and similar accommodations.

The attacks also resulted in the loss of 15,265 tourism-related jobs, including 10,887 workers in restaurants and beverage services (71.3%), 2,277 in creative arts and entertainment (14.9%), and 964 in hotels and similar accommodations.

M.N