Tourism in the State of Palestine

[7] Foreign tourism has been restricted to East Jerusalem and the West Bank since the August 2013 indefinite closing of the Rafah crossing located between Egypt and the Hamas controlled Gaza Strip.

[10] U.S. citizens who are suspected of being Muslims, Arabs, or "being participants in planned political protest activities or of supporting NGOs that are critical of Israeli policies" are often subjected to extensive questioning from immigration officials.

A small runway exists near the UNRWA Khan Younis refugee camp but this air strip is not serviceable due to the blockade.

Gaza City attractions included the Palestine Square bazaar and the beach area, which had hotels, restaurants, and a fishing market.

[23] A growing number of tourist groups visit the classical holy sites but expand their trips to learn about Palestinian culture, Biblical history, and social issues.

A service component may be included in these tours such as assisting in the fall olive harvest[26] or working with church-based neutral observers to monitor and record events as part of peace-keeping efforts between Israeli settlers and local Palestinians.

[27] One travel guide suggests that "Volunteering in Palestine can be a hugely rewarding experience and opportunities in health, culture, fair trade, agriculture, youth work, and women's empowerment are listed for all areas".

[34] Israeli settlers in the West Bank run vacation cabins called "zimmers" with special amenities for Orthodox Jews.

[35] A biblical tourist attraction in Alon, Genesis Land,[36] is visited by Jews, Christians, and Muslims, who take part in building Bible-era tents, herding sheep and goats, and drawing water from a well.

[38] The current situation remains dire in the face of the strict land, sea, and air Israeli and Egyptian blockade and the inability of Gazans to repair their water and sewage treatment facilities.

[43] A few upmarket hotels such as Al Deira opened in 2000, but required luxuries like soap and shampoo needed to be smuggled from Egypt due to the Israeli blockade.

[44] In 2010 Gaza experienced a brief building boom in the construction of for-profit recreational facilities,[45][46] Some of the new amusement parks and restaurants are Hamas business ventures.

Despite adjustments made to the blockade by the Government of Israel in June 2010, restrictions on imports and exports continue to severely hamper recovery and reconstruction.