Yacoub Al-Qasasfeh, an instructor from the Humanities Department within the Faculty of Arts at Bethlehem University, has published a thought-provoking study titled “Exploring the Potential and Development Strategies of Dark Tourism: A Case Study of Bethlehem Governorate, Palestine” in the International Journal of Tourism Cities, a peer-reviewed journal published by Taylor & Francis.
The study sheds light on a unique and often overlooked dimension of tourism: dark tourism, which involves visiting sites associated with conflict, trauma, or historical tragedy. Through in-depth field research, Al-Qasasfeh identifies and analyzes numerous dark tourism sites in Bethlehem Governorate, offering a comprehensive look at their characteristics, significance, and potential for future development.
Key locations identified in the study include: the separation wall, Israeli settlements, military checkpoints, refugee camps, graves of martyrs, memorials, shrines, murals, Banksy’s Walled-Off Hotel, and the Cave of the Skull inside the Church of the Nativity.
These sites embody subcategories such as death tourism, ethnic cleansing tourism, and apartheid tourism, and serve as powerful spaces for reflection on Palestine’s history and current socio-political landscape. Using SWOT analysis and a TOWS matrix, the study evaluates the current status of these sites and proposes strategic development pathways.
Bethlehem University commends Yacoub Al-Qasasfeh for this significant academic contribution, which aligns with the university’s mission to promote critical scholarship, cultural preservation, and sustainable development rooted in local realities.
Read the full article here.