19: Fully booked hotels.
1.3 million: Tourists visiting Bethlehem this year.
30,000: Visitors expected just for Christmas Eve.
5,000: Additional visitors expected for January's Orthodox rites.
12,000: New jobs created by tourism surge.
30 percent: Drop in local unemployment over past three years, attributing to improved security situation.
1,500: PA security men deployed for Christmas season.
2.8 million: Estimated number of tourists in Israel in 2008.
Sources: The Scotsman and AP. See additional reports of all-time highs in Israeli and Tel Aviv tourism.
© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
