Tuqu’ – Rabiha Homestay

“Before we became the homestay along The Palestinian Heritage Trail, my family and I used to live in a house that had only two rooms. It was not easy for us since we did not have stable income.

“After we were introduced to organization, and after we worked to create a homestay in our village of Tuqu’, the situation turned positively upside down for us, and for our community. The organization helped us by renovating and rehabilitating our house to turn it into a homestay. It also gave us the chance to be part of a training program that taught us how to run a sustainable and profitable business providing hospitality to travelers”.

“This has enabled me to find new opportunities, and it has introduced me to new life options. During these trainings, we were able to visit places along the trail that I hadn’t known about. It connected me to different regions in my country, as well as its people and its culture. At first, I used to be an introvert and I didn’t have much courage to interact with people. We used to serve the guests, and then go back to our rooms or the kitchen without interacting very much, because I couldn’t speak English, and I wasn’t used to visitors — let alone foreigners from different backgrounds. But now, after receiving training provided by The Palestinian Heritage Trail, my skills in areas such as English language, cooking, computers, internet, marketing, management and hospitality skills have improved significantly. At the moment, I can use the internet professionally and promote our business and its services. I can also market and sell my traditional handmade embroidery to my visitors. I also participate more in decision making”.

“As part of our services, my husband and I provide small tours in the surrounding area and bring tourists to some important places. We also introduce them to our traditions by involving them in events and festivals that occur in our village, such as Palestinian weddings and Hennas’ Parties. This helps us meet new people, we break the routine, and it also reflects well on Palestinians”.

“Not only did the trail offer me a chance to run a homestay, it helped me develop the skills necessary to run our profitable business. I am now an entrepreneur in one of the most conservative villages of Palestine. As a result of the Organization’s positive impact on me and my family, the people in our village have changed their attitudes toward hosting visitors in our house. They are beginning to accept the idea, and support the concept of community based tourism. We received many requests from friends and neighbors to attend events with our visitors and share their customs and traditions. I now have more confidence, and thanks to god, visitors always leave good feedback, and express their willingness to come again and stay at our homestay and bring more visitors with them”.

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