Palestinian youth launch new initiative to encourage tourism

Young Palestinians have launched a new initiative to encourage tourists to visit the archaeologically-important town of Sebastia, north-west of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Tourists who book with Donkey Tours will, it is promised, develop their knowledge of the area.

Palestinian activist and the initiative’s co-founder, Raouf Hawwari, told Quds Press that visitors will tour the town on donkeys. “Using these icons of Palestinian rural areas is a qualitative addition to this type of tour,” he explained. The company, he added, aims to educate the general public about the archaeological areas in the town of Sebastia and protect them from Israeli efforts to hijack its history.

The tours depart from the ancient town of Sebastia and pass along a path through stone columns and archaeological areas. Tourists then go through Masoudiya, which used to be an Ottoman railway station, and end in one of the region’s beautiful valleys. Altogether, they will cover around 20 km in seven hours. Along the way, they will stop for traditional Palestinian food.

The town’s landmarks include a number of archaeological sites; including a Romanian Basilica, the Temple of Augustus and a church which dates back to the Byzantine period, as well as the mosque of the Prophet Yahya (John the Baptist). The residents want to put their town on the world tourism map as an important archaeological site.

According to the Oslo agreement the town was divided into area B, which is subject to Palestinian Authority administration but Israeli security, and area C which is subject to Israeli administration and security. The latter hinders the development of the ancient sites since they are all located within area C.