THE TOURISM MINISTRY IS WORKING IN COOPERATION WITH THE CHURCH TO FACILITATE
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS FOR THE 70,000 FAITHFUL
EXPECTED FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

Tourism Ministry to provide free 24 hour shuttle transport between Jerusalem
and Bethlehem from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day * Tourism Minister to
host pre-Christmas reception tomorrow for Church leaders in Jerusalem

Tourism Minister Dr. Uzi Landau: “This festive season carries with it a
message of hope and peace and underlines the importance of family values and
solidarity. It reminds us how important it is that we preserve these values
common to us all. The State of Israel has a close relationship with
Christian leaders and we will continue to invest in the sites that are holy
to Christians. Christians will always enjoy freedom of worship in Israel."

Jerusalem, December 22, 2014 - The Tourism Ministry is working in
cooperation with the Church and other bodies to facilitate the celebration
of the Christmas festivities for the 70,000 visitors expected to arrive in
Israel for the Christmas period. For 24 hours from noon on Christmas Eve
through to noon on Christmas Day, the Ministry of Tourism will offer free
shuttle transportation, helping pilgrims travelling between Jerusalem and
Bethlehem. Buses will leave every hour on the hour from the bus stop near
the Carta Parking lot (opposite Jaffa Gate and near to the Mamilla
Boulevard). The bus will also stop near the entrance to the Mar Elias
Monastery, and at the Rosmarin junction, before continuing via Rachel's
Crossing to Bethlehem - and then back again. Representatives from the
Ministry of Tourism will welcome tourists and pilgrims at Rachel’s Crossing
with a gift bag in the spirit of the holiday. The ministry will also provide
a firework display during the Christmas parade in Nazareth.

EVENTS AND FESTIVITIES IN JERUSALEM AND NAZARETH

23 December 2014

Tourism Minister Dr. Uzi Landau will host the traditional pre-Christmas
reception for leaders of the Christian communities and churches in Israel at
the Shimshon Center, Beit Shmuel in Jerusalem on Monday, 23 December at
12:30. Also participating in the reception alongside ambassadors and
Christian leaders will be the Director-General of the Tourism Ministry Amir
Halevi, and representatives of the Church, government and private bodies
involved in promoting Christian tourism to the Holy Land. Among the Church
leaders attending the reception: His Beatitude Greek Orthodox Patriarch
Theophilus III, His Eminence Vatican Ambassador Lazzarotto Giuseppe and the
Custos of the Holy Land His Paternity Pierbattista Pizzaballa. The minister
will send season’s greetings for Christmas to the Christian communities and
invite the faithful around the world to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

24 December 2014

On Christmas Eve, 24.12.14, the traditional parade of thousands of local
youth, together with the leaders of the Christian communities, will pass
through Nazareth from 15:00. The parade ends at the plaza in front of the
Basilica with a firework display, sponsored by the Tourism Ministry, to
announce the opening of the festive Christmas celebrations (17:30).
Christmas Mass will be celebrated in the Basilica of the Annunciation at
19:00.

In recent years, the Tourism Ministry has invested close to NIS 100 million
in developing and maintaining the infrastructure of Christian sites, in
order to enrich the pilgrim's spiritual experience. These sites include,
among others, the baptism site at Qasr el Yahud near the Dead Sea, Mount
Zion and Ein Karem in Jerusalem and the Gospel Trail in the Galilee. Other
projects include, among others, the boardwalk from Tiberias to Capernaum,
Korazim and Mount Precipice.

As part of the ongoing activities to promote pilgrimage to the Holy Land,
the Tourism Minister Dr. Uzi Landau and the representatives of the Tourism
Ministry in Israel and around the world meet regularly with Church leaders
and communities.

The Papal visit to Israel in May 2014 brought thousands of tourists and
pilgrims to Israel and, following the visit, hundreds of thousands more
tourists who traveled to the Holy Land as a result. The Tourism Ministry
invested about NIS2.5 million this year in infrastructure and marketing to
leverage the visit of the Pope and millions of shekel more in infrastructure
projects and upgrades to the Christian sites in advance of the visit. A
dramatic increase in digital traffic to Tourism Ministry websites and social
media was recorded around the visit. 1.16 million people around the world
followed the Papal visit via the Catholic facebook pages managed by the
Tourism Ministry.

Targeted marketing campaigns take place around the world to Christian
communities, encouraging tourism to the Holy Land. The ministry runs
dedicated websites and facebook pages for the Catholic and Evangelical
communities.

www.holyland-pilgrimage.org (the Tourism Ministry’s dedicated site for
Catholic pilgrims, available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German,
Polish and Portuguese).

http://www.goisrael.com/Evng (the Tourism Ministry’s dedicated site for
Evangelical Christians)