By Zainah El-Haroun

BETHLEHEM West Bank (Reuters – A trickle in tourists sometimes is not enough to fill a manger let alone an Inn. But Bethlehem’s Palestinians hope that this month will see more of them.

This year’s pandemic nearly destroyed the historic birthplace of Jesus, leading many hoteliers to sell up and leave behind a tourism-dependent economy.

However, Israel is easing restrictions on foreign tourists just in time for Christmas. Everyone remains cautious about the possibility of an outbreak of winter coronavirus.

Although we are grateful to some tourists from abroad and Christian Palestinians living in Israel and West Bank, this is still a very far cry from winter 2019’s 3.5 million guests.

“Of course the numbers are very few, but as a start, as a beginning, I think it’s good,” Palestinian tourism minister Rula Maayah told Reuters. “Hopefully very soon these few hundreds will be a few thousand.”

The experience has been improved for all who have attended, despite the fact that there are fewer people.

Trina Dybkjaer, a Danish pilgrim and one of three wise tourists who stood in the otherwise deserted Manger Square on November 17, said that their timing was perfect.

“I came to see where Jesus was born,” she said, looking up at the half-decorated Christmas tree outside the Church of the Nativity.

“I can almost feel the history of how it was back then. It hasn’t been, at least today, destroyed by a lot of tourists.”

Bethlehem’s municipal government reduced the Christmas market and barred most people from attending the tree-lighting ceremony.

However, Mayor Anton Salman stated that this year’s festivities will continue as usual on December 4, and visitors are asked to wear masks. His estimate was around 15,000, mostly Palestinians.

Bethlehem’s souvenir-sellers as well as hoteliers admit that they have difficulty making a living.

“We have Christmas reservations from Britain, Colombia, the U.S., all over, we can’t complain about that,” said Joey Canavati, manager of Nativity Street’s Alexander Hotel.

“We just don’t know what will happen next week, or next month – will there be another COVID wave? Will everything shut down again?”

(Zainah ElHaroun reported in Bethlehem. Rami Ayyub wrote the article. Stephen Farrell, Giles Elgood edited.