Bethlehem rebounds from pandemic, lifting Christmas spirits

 

The biblical town of Bethlehem marked a merry Christmas on Saturday, with thousands of visitors descending upon the traditional birthplace of Jesus as it rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic.

Tourism is the economic lifeblood of this town in the occupied West Bank, and for the past two years, the pandemic kept international visitors away.

This year, visitors are back, hotels are full and shopkeepers have reported a brisk business in the runup to the holiday.

Although the numbers have not reached pre-pandemic levels, the return of tourists has palpably raised spirits in Bethlehem.