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The importance of (pilgrimage) tourism for Bethlehem, whether from a religious, economic or political point of view, is undisputable. The recent declaration of the Church of the Nativity (the Birthplace of Jesus) as World heritage highlights Bethlehem´s richness in cultural and religious heritage. However, tourism in Palestine and Bethlehem has often been threatened by political changes. There are various stakeholders in the Bethlehem tourism industry that have different views related to the ownership and management of cultural and religious heritage and there is little collaboration among these. Besides, there is dependence on international aid and funds in the rehabilitation of heritage due to the continuous restriction of access from the Israeli side, although the role of supranational organisations such as UNESCO is quite contested. As a result of the problem analysis, these circumstances contributed to the author´s wish to help by giving strategic advice to the two most important influential parties, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) and UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) on the future and ´glocal´ Management of World Heritage Sites and efficient collaboration.

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Sarah Hussmann holds a Master´s degree in TourismDestination Management. She studied and workedin the Netherlands, Palestine, Mexico and the APAC region.Sarah is a passionate traveller starting at an earlyage. She loves exotic places, foreign cultures andsustainable ways to make tourism accessible. Theauthor lives in Frankfurt/Main (Germany).

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