A new tourist destination that participated in the event was Palestine. A number of Palestinian travel agencies, as well as the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism, shared a large pavilion to display their product. For us, Egypt is a neighbouring market that is easily accessible. Hegazi said that the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism participated with the private sector to promote Palestinian destinations like Ramallah, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. He suggested that Palestine could get up to three million tourists annually, if the Israeli authorities do not close the borders.
Tourism aims to bring nations closer, but tourism in our country is still suffering from obstacles.
Pilgrims who go to Israel want to complete their religious rituals in our country and vice versa. Hegazi explained that stalling in the peace process has affected tourist investments in Palestine. We have a tenth of the services and infrastructure that are offered in Israel, and thus we receive only a tenth of the tourist income they receive. I believe that once we complete our infrastructure projects, we will have a bigger role. Greece was one of the countries that had a strong presence at the event.