Bethlehem mayor seeks to boost economy
West Bank city's first female mayor, Vera Baboun, hopes to deliver 'true change' to major tourist destination
Video courtesy of jn1.tv
“What really amazed me that during the voting I received votes not only from women but as well from men, and the majority of the voting reflect that people wanted a true change and they did not see in the gender as an entity a restriction, vice versa, it was a privilege," Baboun says.
Christians believe that Bethlehem was the birthplace of Jesus Christ and the city remains a major tourist destination due to its beauty and history, with every hotel booked up for the Christmas period – including 13 new ones built just this year – although unemployment remains high, something that Baboun, who was elected in October, will undoubtedly be keen to reduce.
The Christmas season is crucial to the wider West Bank economy – bringing in revenues of $1 billion, which is approximately 15% of the region’s entire annual GDP, but it remains a potential key growth area due to tourist numbers being held artificially low due to security and safety concerns.
