SPECIAL INTERVIEW
Hamdan M. Taha
Deputy Minister, Ministry of Tourism and
Antiquities for the State of Palestine
words Wanida Chiang
photo Gaid Phitthayakornsilp
photo Kinna Abdulaziz
As part of a recent Palestinian delegation to Thailand,
Hamdan M. Taha the Deputy Minister, Ministry of Tourism and
Antiquities for the State of Palestine, made a stop in Bangkok
and met with ASEAN TRiPPER Magazine. The visit, organized
jointly by Palestinian Ministry, the Ministry of Tourism and
Sports, Thailand, along with the support of both the Thailand
International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA), and
the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), showed
definitively that the piece of land known as Palestine, although
small in its geography, is very diverse and offers a mosaic of
culture, as well as such historical landmarks as the Dead Sea,
and the ancient biblical cities of Jericho and Bethlehem.
Wailing Wall and Al Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem
What has impressed you most about the
country?
I would like to say the kindness of the Thai
people, and the diversity of the Thai culture.
I was also much impressed by the progress
and development here.
What is the reason behind this visit?
We hope that through this visit, and through our
previous visit, we can work out a framework
of cooperation and to establish a triangular
cooperation between Palestine, Thailand
and Japan. For Palestine, management and
community-based tourism are probably
are the most important aspects in tourism
currently, and we have been introduced to a
wide range of similar aspects here in Thailand.
It is a modern form of tourism, incorporating
culture, nature, and community, and this
diversity that Thailand offers is a model for
us to emulate. Also of interest is how people
and organizations manage to brand Thailand.
What aspects of tourism management in
Thailand can be practical to implement in
your country?
This ”branding” of Thailand is a signal of
success, and with 6 million international
visitors coming your country, I believe there
is a lot to learn. Also the way the Ministry
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of Tourism and Sports – as well as the
private sector – works together, offers a very
interesting example for Palestine. By building
for ourselves the institutional capacity of the
tourism sector, we hope that this in turn will
enable Palestinians who have done training
courses in tourism management to follow
this model.
What can visitors to Palestine expect?
Palestine is a small country, but it offers an
interesting destination combining history and
culture. It is probably one of the most excavated
places in the world, with thousands of
archeological sites. It is also multicultural
– home to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism
– and within this small piece of land there
is topographic and geological variety,
including the shores of the Dead Sea,
which are the lowest point on dry land on
the planet. Palestine has also played an
important role in human history, and it has
been acknowledged as the place where
the first human agricultural settlements
appeared.
For the 3.5 million visitors we receive each
year – coming mostly from Eastern and
Western Europe, the USA, Canada, and even
Indonesia – one of the main strengths of
Palestine is that it is still regarded as the
“holy land”.
Are there any special concerns regarding
traveling to Palestine?
The land is now shared by Palestine and
Isreal under an interim agreement, but
until final peace agreement, the borders are
still controlled by Israel. This means that
visitors should have an Israeli visa to enter,
or they can come through Jordan, crossing
the bridges of the Jordan River. The general
image of the country is somewhat of a crisis
ar ea, but I would like to say that even under
this situation it is a safe destination. It is
“normal” under “abnormal” circumstances.
What does the future hold for tourism in
Palestine?
We hope that a final peace settlement will be
concluded, and this will offer new horizons
of international and regional cooperation
between Palestine and Israel, Palestine
and Jordan, and also surrounding countries
such as Egypt and Lebanon. Therefore we
value highly cooperation with Thailand at
this stage. We appreciate very much that
Thailand recognized that State of Palestine
in 2012, and building on the friendship we
hope that tourism can enhance its role in
our economic development. We believe
that tourism can offer a means for dialogue
and mutual respect between people and
cultures.