IN STEREO

When people go to a place, it’s not only interesting to hear about the historical buildings. They want to know about the people’s lives. When I take people around, I really like to speak not only about the politics, but also the local heritage, the traditions. We think in fair tourism, it’s also important that you hear stories from people who live there, and that you pay those people. That’s what’s fair. So we’ve established a network of guides around the West Bank whom we trust, to give tourists an idea of how much connection there is between the Palestinians and this area. Unfortunately, Palestinians have been dehumanised. Generally, people who have never met a Palestinian still have this idea that Palestinians are all Muslims, [that] they might be violent, or are terrorists. Telling people about daily life here and taking them to places where they can actually meet Palestinians often changes peoples’ perspectives a lot.

All of a sudden, they realise that these are equal people, but they are not treated equally and there is so much injustice – and that’s where you open people’s eyes. I want [tourists] to understand that Palestinians deserve tourism just as much as Israelis, so do not feel uncomfortable coming here. Some people have said that they feel like they are coming to watch monkeys in the zoo, you know? And people often have the idea that when they come here, they should do something: they should volunteer, or they should contribute something to the society. You are welcome to come and to do that – but you can also just come. You would never go to Italy and say, “I’m going on holiday, but I also have to make a contribution to the society.” You’re just going there and spending your money. Come to Palestine – it’s a beautiful country. – Kristel