Interest of Ukrainians in Palestine growing, says Palestinian tourism minister
Kyiv, June 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukraine and Palestine are planning to sign a memorandum on cooperation in the tourism industry, Palestinian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Kholoud Daibes has said.
"It will be a broad framework memorandum," she said at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine news agency in Kyiv on Wednesday.
Daibes said that the memorandum envisaged cooperation in the tourism and museum spheres, in the private sector and in the sphere of advertising. She also said that familiarization tourist trips to Palestine would be organized for Ukrainian tour operators and journalists.
The minister said that the interest of Ukrainian tourists in Palestine was growing.
"The interest in our country, including that in Ukraine, is increasing. Last year, Palestine was visited by several thousand Ukrainian tourists, but already this year their number has increased by several times," she said, adding that the Palestinian Tourism Ministry predicts that the number of tourists and pilgrims to Palestine will continue to grow.
She said that despite the political situation, which sometimes hampers tourism in Palestine, two million tourists had visited Palestine last year. Daibes said that an increase in the flow of Ukrainian tourists was being promoted by the introduction of the visa-free regime between Ukraine and Israel.
"Palestine is ready to receive tourists and pilgrims, and at their disposal are hotels of various categories, which are ready to satisfy any desires," she said.
Daibes said that religious tourism remained one of the main areas, although the areas of environmental and cultural tourism were also gaining popularity.