Domestic Tourism Survey 1998

Press Release on the Results of Survey

In the efforts to provide official statistical data at the national level, and in view of the fact that development and social planning in Palestine requires a supply of reliable statistics in all sectors of Palestinian society, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) has conducted a household survey on domestic tourism activities. This survey was based on a sample of 2,347 households in the Palestinian territories. The reference year of the survey is 1998. Data collection was conducted in the period from January 30, 1999 to February 25, 1999 as an attached module with the labor force survey.

The main findings of the survey indicate that 45.3 per cent of the Palestinian households conducted domestic trips in 1998, of which 43.5 per cent in the West Bank, against 48.6 per cent in Gaza Strip. The results show that the group trips formed 33.1 per cent, while individual trips formed 66.9 per cent.

The survey results indicated that the total number of resorts visited by Palestinian households reached 174. These resorts were classified as 10.8 per cent urban areas, 38.5 per cent designated heritage, cultural and religious resorts, 27.1 per cent lake and seaside, 13.1 per cent gardens and parks, 8.6 per cent health and spa resorts, and 1.9 per cent as rural areas.

Concerning the reason of conducting the domestic trips, the results indicate that 77.0 per cent for recreation, against 18.3 per cent for religious reasons, and 4.7 per cent for other reasons.

On the other hand, 19.0 per cent of domestic trips were conducted in April, against 2.4 per cent in January, and most of the domestic trips were classified as a one-day trip (97.4 per cent).

It is worth mentioning that the methodology of the survey is based on the recommendations of the world tourism organization (WTO) and the methodology on tourism statistics for European Commission taking into account the Palestinian local circumstances.

Main Finding

1. Domestics Tourism:
The main findings of the survey indicated that the percentage of household conducted domestic tourism trips in 1998 reached 45.3%, of which 43.5% in the West Bank, and 48.6% in Gaza Strip.

Distribution of Households by Region and Conducting Domestic Tourism Trips

Conducting Domestic Trip	West Bank -North	West Bank -Center	West Bank -South	West Bank -Total	Gaza Strip	Palestinian Territory
Yes	39.5	35.1	57.8	43.5	48.6	45.3
No	60.5	64.9	42.2	56.5	51.4	54.7
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100

2. Main places of visit:
The survey indicated that the total number of visited resorts by households in 1998 reached 174. The trips to the resorts were classified by type of resort as follows:

Distribution of Tourist Trips Conducted by Households by Place and Region

Place	West Bank -North	West Bank -Center	West Bank -South	West Bank -Total	Gaza Strip	Palestinian Territory
Urban areas	5.1	21.3	6.1	8.4	15.7	10.8
Historical and Religious places	49.0	33.4	70.2	56.6	1.9	38.5
Gardens and Parks	19.1	12.7	4.2	10.8	17.7	13.1
Health and Spa resorts	17.4	11.3	9.7	12.6	0.3	8.6
Rural areas	3.3	4.2	2.2	2.9	0.1	1.9
Lake and Seaside	6.1	17.1	7.6	8.7	64.3	27.1
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100

3. Visitors:
The results below indicate the distribution of tourist trips conducted by households.

Distribution of Tourist Trips Conducted by Households by Visitor and Region

Region	Household	Household with Group	Household member(s)	Household member(s) with Group	Total
West Bank	22.9	10.0	38.9	28.2	100
Gaza	28.7	4.8	32.0	34.5	100
Total	25.0	8.1	36.4	30.5	100

4. Main purpose of the visit:
The results below show the distribution of trips conducted by households by the purpose of the trip.

Distribution of Domestic Tourist Trips Conducted by Households by Region and purpose of the trip

Objective of Trip	West Bank -North	West Bank -Center	West Bank -South	West Bank -Total	Gaza Strip	Palestinian Territory
Recreation	65.9	82.1	61.9	67.4	94.1	77.0
Religious	27.9	14.3	34.4	27.8	1.1	18.3
Others	6.2	3.6	3.7	4.8	4.8	4.7
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100

Concepts and Definitions

Domestic tourism:	This is defined as comprising the activities of residents of a given area travelling only within that area, but outside their usual environment.
Tourism trip:	The activities of person(s) travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment.
Usual environment:	The usual environment of a person consists of the direct vicinity of his/her home and place of work or study and other places frequently visited .
Purpose of the trip:	This is the purpose in the absence of which the trip would not have been made or the given destination would not have been visited.
Destination:	This is a significant place visited during a trip / stay. The place the visitor thinks of as the primary place visited (motivating destination).
Duration of the trip:	The number of over night stays during a trip.
Telecommunications:	The transmission and reception of information of any type, including data, television pictures, sound, and facsimiles, using electrical or optical signals sent over wires fibers or through the air.
Tourist guide:	A person who has a tourist guide license with a good information about the tourist sites in the area
Employed:	All persons are 15 years and older who were working at a paid job or business for at least one hour during the reference week, or who did not work, but held a job or owned business from which they were temporarily absent (because of illness, vacation, temporarily stoppage, or any other reason) during the reference week. Employed persons are classified according to employment status as follows: Employer Own-account worker (self-employed) Employee Unpaid family member
Unemployed:	Unemployed persons are those individuals 15 years and older who did not work at all during the reference week, who were not absent from a job and were available for work and actively seeking a job during the reference week. Persons who work in Israel and were absent from work due to closure are considered unemployed.