Monday, Apr 24, 2017

Ramallah: When a group of university students were trying to find a way to pay their tuition fees, the idea of organising donkey tours began as a joke but has become a lucrative enterprise.

Camel rides in Egypt and elephant rides in Thailand inspired five Palestinian friends to set up a donkey tour business in Palestine’s most popular tourist destination of Sebastia located in the Nablus governorate in the northern part of the Occupied West Bank.The venture is proving so successful that the young entrepreneurs are now having to juggle running the flourishing venture with their time-consuming studies at Al Najah National University.

“Our project is gaining momentum, with increasing numbers of tourists registering for the tour,” Mufeed Al Haj, a co-founder of the project told Gulf News

The students, all in their mid-20s, are all engineering majors, with the exception of Mouenes Al Haj, who is a veterinary student.

The friends now have 15 donkeys, which cost them 7,500 shekels, and they aim to acquire more to meet the increasing demand for tours.

The tourists can roam the entire area of Sebastia and are provided with historic details of all the landmarks in the area.

The tours start from Al Shami Wadi in north Sebastia, moving towards Al Masodiyah, and then through all the area’s tourist spots.

The visible remains at ancient Sebastia include Roman tombs, a Hellenistic tower, a Severan basilica, and the Herodion gate towers at the entrance of a colonnaded street with 6000 columns on both sides.

Raouf Hawari, another co-founder of the business, says tourists are educated on range of issues including the history, culture and traditions of Palestine as well as environment and animal rights.

Traditionally, most households in Palestinian rural areas used donkeys as a means of transportation.

“The donkey is a symbol of Palestinian country life,” said Al Haj.

Sebastia is coming under increased Israeli incursions as they have begun to present false historical Jewish claims to the land.

The incursions have emboldened the young entrepreneurs even more.

“We should double our efforts to boost Palestinian presence in the area to circumvent Jewish claims to the land,” Hawari said, adding that the company also strictly boycotts all Israeli products and services. “The tour is an interesting experience and an original idea worth experiencing,” satisfied customer Mahmoud Swailem, a Palestinian from Kofr Qasem in the 1948 areas said. The donkey tours are held mainly on Fridays and Saturdays, from 9am to 3pm.

The tour needs a minimum of six and maximum of 14 people. Special tours can be organised upon request.

By Nasouh Nazzal Correspondent

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