Palestinian tourism: a period of transition Available to Purchase

This research is designed to investigate the status of tourism in the parks of Wade Al‐Badan, which is located near the city of Nablus, in the West Bank, during the period of political transition. Socio‐economic, behavioral and spatial variables of visitors are examined and compared. The on‐site survey was conducted on the last Friday of July 2000, starting at 1.00 p.m. and ending at 7.00 p.m. The results indicate that the majority of the visitors came from the West Bank. The findings suggest that tourism will be a major economic sector in Palestine, which lacks tourism facilities. Better spatial management of attractive tourism sites is also needed, but the Israeli security policies create barriers against the execution of Palestinian development plans. This study also reveals that it has managerial and policy implications in terms of preparation for growth and tourism promotion.