Our projects in the field of PEACE

Supporting inter-religious action that promotes peace through projects that can change the course of history.

Promoting Christian Tourism to the Holy Land and to Israel

by | Nov 6, 2012

Continuous violence and conflict has had an enormous adverse financial impact on the regional tourism industry in the Holy Land. Both sides of the conflict suffer profound loss, not just in terms of life and human dignity, but in terms of economic and financial losses as well. During the Intifada, unemployment in Israeli hit 11% and the rate in the territories has been as high as 30-60%. Everyone is suffering. Pave the Way is trying to change the course of this negative pattern, by encouraging special visits to the Holy Land, by Christian leaders. Some of these prelates have been charged with the pastoral care and diocesan responsibility of millions of faithful Christians.

It is our belief that as economies improve, the seeds of violence and radicalism will fail to take root. Pave the Way is working with the Israeli Ministry of Tourism to encourage these most important pilgrimages.

Partnering with Israeli government officials, Pave the Way has been successful in facilitating the removal of several protocol and procedural barriers that have long been problematic to an already decimated tourism industry.

          

Above, Pave the Way meets with Senior Deputy of the Minister of Tourism to plan projects to increase and maintain tourism from Christian communities. Above, meeting with the Armenian Archbishop Nourhan to discuss Armenian pilgrimages. We have worked to encourage Catholic and other Christian pilgrims to come to Israel.

Planning  projects to benefit the tourism industry of Israel with Raphael Ben-Hur, First Deputy General Minister of Tourism in Israel. The Ministry of Tourism is trying to encourage Christian tourists to stay longer at the Holy sites in Bethlehem, in order to help the local Palestinian population. This is an on-going effort, involving both the Israeli and Palestinian Ministries of Tourism.

May 2007, PTWF was asked to help the security personnel at Ben Gurion Airport, and so prepared a manual of information on addressing and dealing with the various religious leaders of every faith. The manual was prepared and the airport personnel were very grateful for this information. It continues to be a useful resource, over a decade later.

Tourism from China and Asia

PTWF representatives from Asia, Pastors Paul Horng-Guang Yeh and Francy have led thousands of pilgrims from Asia to Israel and the Holy Land. This wonderful work benefits both Israelis and Palestinians.

           

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