Jerusalem to open new camping site in the Peace Forest
The camping site is made to both combat the lacking number of hotels as well as attempting to attract new kinds of tourists.
By OMRI RONView of the Jerusalem forest(photo credit: SHARON UDASIN)
Israel's Tourism Ministry is planning on opening a new camping site in the Peace Forest in Jerusalem, to combat the high cost of hotels in the city. Scheduled to open in October 2020, it would be the first camping site in the capital and will be located within walking distance from the First Station compound, the Hinnom valley, the City of David, the Western Wall and the Old City.The camping site is expected to have accommodation for 200 and is meant to help ease the load of other hotels in the city.The Peace Forest has recently been undergoing ecological restoration and added infrastructure work in order to make it easier for the general public and the expected increasing number of tourists who will arrive at the area. This will include new paths, lighting and electricity infrastructure, toilets, observation points, recreation facilities and new picnic tables.According to Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion: "This site is part of a broad response that we are building for one of the biggest challenges we face - the gap between the city's attractiveness as a tourist destination and our ability to realize that potential, given the shortage of hotel rooms. We are progressing speedily with many programs to build thousands more hotel rooms in the city, but these hotel rooms should not come at the expense of other accommodation types, but rather in addition. I believe this site will be one of high occupancy, and many more urban camping sites will follow. "In the past, Lion has stated that increasing the number of tourists is of the mayor's stated goals, mostly to help with boosting the city's economy. "We are unrelenting in our efforts to promote Jerusalem as a conference and tourism destination, including the construction of more hotel rooms to provide the best tourism experience.” He said.The camping site is expected to open around October of 2020 for groups, with it opening to singular tourists around Spring 2020. The new camping complex is part of the Ministry of Tourism's plan to develop the area from the Armon Hanatziv ridge to the First Station complex in south-eastern Jerusalem.According to a report published by Euromonitor International, incoming international tourism to the Israeli capital soared by an unparalleled 38% in 2018, after increasing by 32% in 2017.
