UK business and tourism experts are in Palestine this week looking to boost the region’s tourism potential in partnership with local businesses.

The mission is a direct result of the UK-Palestine Investment Conference held in London in December 2008 led by Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad and Prime Minister Gordon Brown and attended by 60 Palestinian and 100 UK business people.

The UK companies will meet with local businesses in the tourism sector including tour operators, travel and hotel businesses – as well as with Minister for Tourism and Antiquities Dr. Kholoud Duaibes and Minister for National Economy Bassem Khoury.

They will explore the region’s tourist hotspots – from the traditional destinations of historical and religious sites to experiences less well known to overseas visitors such as wildlife and bird-watching tours. Opportunities to attract the growing band of ecologically-minded ‘green tourist’ to the region will also be explored. The businesses will also take a tour of Taybeh Village, its archaeological sites and famous brewery – home of the Oktoberfest. They will also see the new Days-Inn Hotel in Ramallah under construction. The franchise agreement for the new 130 room hotel in Ramallah, representing a total investment of $25million and an expected 300-350 jobs created, was signed at the London conference in December.

A roundtable discussion with the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce is expected to cover commercial and development opportunities in tourism, infrastructure and archaeological excavation. This tourism mission is one of several strands of commercial partnership stemming from the UK-Palestine Investment Conference in London. ICT, agri-business exports, construction and financial services were also identified as areas for commercial partnership and development. Work on broadening the economic ties in these sectors is also being developed. In March, Google visited Palestine to explore the potential for IT development and they delivered IT training courses to Palestinians working in the IT industry. In the agri-business sector, a milestone was reached as Palestinian olive oil was awarded Fair Trade Status earlier this year. It is now being sold in many UK retailers including Sainsbury’s.

The tourism and leisure trade visit is organised by UK Trade & Investment (the UK government’s international business development organisation) and British Expertise (the UK trade association for professional services overseas).

Chief Executive of UK Trade & Investment, Sir Andrew Cahn said,

“The momentum from the Bethlehem and London conferences has driven forward the commercial relations between the UK and Palestine. A prosperous private sector is crucial for the growth of the Palestinian economy. Strengthening the links between the UK and Palestinian private sectors is key. I am sure that UK Trade & Investment’s very practical support for businesses – from the London conference to this tourism mission – will see real commercial opportunities grow.”

Notes for Editors

The London UK-Palestine Investment Conference in December 2008 was a commitment made by Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the Bethlehem Conference in May 2008. The momentum from both conferences has driven forward the commercial relations between the UK and Palestine . It also established the Palestine Britain Business Council - a private sector-led group of UK and Palestinian businesses aiming to promote and facilitate bilateral trade and investment. UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is the government organisation that helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. We also help overseas companies bring their high quality investment to the UK ’s economy – acknowledged as Europe ’s best place from which to succeed in global business. UKTI offers expertise and contacts through its extensive network of specialists in the UK , and in British embassies and other diplomatic offices around the world. We provide companies with the tools they require to be competitive on the world stage. For more information visit: www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk | www.youtube.com/UKTIWeb | http://blog.ukti.gov.uk | www.flickr.com/ukti | http://twitter.com/ukti

British Expertise is an independent not for profit trade organisation based in London set up to help UK consultants and other professional services. Its objective is to help member companies develop their business abroad. Although British Expertise maintains very close relations with a range of Government Departments, funding relies entirely on member company subscriptions and fee-based services. It organises and lead high profile missions overseas which are open to all, with a focus on specific opportunities in markets. Its free electronic weekly electronic newsletter is available to non-members through www.britishexpertise.org. Members may be based in the UK or overseas, and offer a wide range of world class knowledge-based skills. The trade delegation includes Alison Cryer (Chair of The Tourism Society and Managing Director of Representation Plus), Malcolm George (Technical Director responsible for Tourism within Scott Wilson, the global integrated design and engineering consultancy for the built and natural environments (www.scottwilson.com), Benjamin Carey FTS (expert on sustainable tourism and market development, especially in emerging destinations, and advises UNESCO and the World Tourism Organization. He is Managing Director of Dunira Strategy (www.dunira.com), which has a focus on the sustainable development and environmental management of tourism).

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