Hotel owners hope Bethlehem initiative drums up Christmas business

Published: 2004-11-17

JERUSALEM (CNS) -- Palestinian hotel owners said they hope a new Christmas initiative will return pilgrims to Bethlehem, West Bank, for the holiday. Nine Bethlehem hotels will offer a special deal for Christmas and the two days preceding it, offering double rooms and breakfast for $99 per person, with a $49 single supplement. The cost also includes Christmas Eve dinner. "Bethlehem has been almost completely closed for the past two years, but now the borders are a bit easier for tourists to cross," said Yusef Daher, executive director of the Arab Hotel Association, adding that Bethlehem has always been safe for pilgrims. "(The hotels) generally have had low occupancy, with only 2 percent the whole year, and during Christmas last year there was almost no movement at all." More information is available by e-mailing the Arab Hotel Association at: info@palestinehotels.com.

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