The Tour Guiding Program at the Institute of Hotel Management and Tourism at Bethlehem University organized a field training trip for its students on Sunday, 9 November 2025, to a number of major historical and religious sites in the Jericho area. The tour is part of a series of field visits organized by the Institute to enhance students’ practical knowledge and provide them with the field skills necessary for the profession of tour guiding.
The group was accompanied by Mr. Ibrahim Salama, a licensed, prominent tour guide and lecturer in the program, who provided students with detailed historical, geographical, and cultural explanations about the sites visited, along with professional guidance on organizing tours and techniques, and effective management of tourist groups in the field.
The itinerary included visits to several important historical sites, namely: Qumran, Tell es-Sultan, Mount of Temptation (Deir Quruntul), Hisham’s Palace, Tulul Abu al-‘Alayiq, Wadi Al-Qelt, and the Maqam of Nabi Musa. During the visits, students learned about the significance, history, and naming of each site, as well as the major historical events that took place there. They also discussed the archaeological, religious, and touristic value of these locations and their role in promoting cultural and religious tourism in Palestine.
Along the route between Bethlehem and Jericho, Mr. Salama provided additional commentary on several sites, including al-Eizariya (Bethany), the Inn of the Good Samaritan, and the Monastery of Martyrius near Ma‘ale Adumim, highlighting their historical and religious importance within their geographical and cultural context.
This trip is part of a series of field training tours organized by the Institute of Hotel Management and Tourism at Bethlehem University for students of the Tour Guiding Program, with the goal of integrating theoretical knowledge with practical application, and equipping students with comprehensive field experience that enables them to interact professionally with visitors and pilgrims while deepening their understanding of Palestine’s cultural and religious heritage.
The Institute affirmed that these training trips will continue in the coming period to include new destinations, such as Nablus and Hebron, etc, enriching the students’ educational experience, strengthening their practical guiding skills, and advancing the University’s mission of education, service, and community development.