The Handbook of Palestine/4/1

§ I. Palestine as a Tourist Resort.
Attractions of Palestine. — Palestine as a resort for tourists possesses unique attractions, religious, historical, climatic and archaeological, which need not be enlarged upon here.

By the quickest route, under normal conditions, Palestine is reached from London in six to seven days and from Cairo in eighteen hours.

The best season to visit Palestine is from January to June.

For climate, see Part V.

Communications. — Rapid and comfortable communica- tion between Egypt and Palestine is provided daily by trains from Kantara East. In Palestine itself communication is assured by an efficient railway system, by motor-car services and by an extensive road system, all the first and second class roads being suitable for motoring.

Hotels. — In the principal towns very fair accommodation and cooking can be relied upon. Some of the hotels are not of first-rate European standard, but they are clean, and a stay in them is comfortable.

All the points here mentioned are dealt with in detail below.

Passport Regulations. —

(a) FOR BRITISH SUBJECTS.

1. British passports are issued by the Department of Immigration and Travel, Jerusalem, and by British diplo- matic and consular officers abroad. The charge for a British passport is PT. 37. Application should be made on the authorized form obtainable from those authorities.

2. British subjects making their homes or staying for more than three months in Palestine should be registered at the Department of Immigration and Travel.

3. British passports are not valid beyond two years from the date of issue. They may be renewed for four further periods of two years each, after which, or if at any time there be no further space for visas, a fresh passport must be obtained. The fee for each renewal is PT. 10.

4. The passport is only available for travel to the coun- tries named thereon, but may be endorsed for additional countries. The possession of a passport so endorsed does not, however, exempt the holder from compliance with any immigration regulations in force in British or foreign coun- tries or from the necessity of obtaining a visa where required.

5. Passports endorsed as valid for the British Empire are also available for travelling to territory under British pro- tection or mandate, excluding, however, Palestine, Meso- potamia or Egypt, for which countries the passport must be specially endorsed.

6. During the two years for which a British passport is valid, no further endorsement is required for journeys to the countries for which the passport has already been made available, unless the contrary is stated.

7. For journeys to countries other than those for which the passport is already available, endorsements should be obtained.

8. For journeys to countries other than British Posses- sions, visas must be obtained from the foreign consular representatives concerned.

{b) FOR PALESTINIANS.

1. Laissez-Passers valid for one year are issued b} Department of Immigration and Travel at Jerusalem, Haifa, or Jaffa.

2. Holders of Laissez-Passers desiring to travel in the British Empire or to territory which is under British pro- tection or mandate must obtain the necessary British visas, either from the Department of Immigration and Travel in Palestine or from His Majesty's representatives abroad. British visas, unless otherwise endorsed, are valid for one year.

3. Holders of Laissez-Passers who desire to travel to countries other than British Possessions must obtain visas from the foreign consular representatives concerned.

[c) FOR SUBJECTS OF OTHER STATES.

1. Passports are issued by the Consular Representatives of Foreign Countries.

2. The regulations regarding British and Foreign visas, mentioned in {b) 2 and 3 above apply also to the holders of Foreign passports.

For list of Foreign Consuls, see Part VII. Health Arrangements for Tourists. — Specially conducted parties of tourists may land and proceed immediately on their tour, except in cases where plague or cholera has occurred on board the ship during the voyage or where the ship has called at a cholera-infected port within five days of reaching Palestine.

No individual or personal inspection of tourists will be made, provided the following procedure is complied with :
 * (a) the Medical Officer of the ship will inform the Quarantine Medical Officer at the Port of the state of health of the whole party ;


 * (b) the Tourist Agent concerned will supply the Quarantine Medical Officer with a nominal roll in duplicate of each party landing for a special itinerary


 * (c) the Tourist Agent conducting the party will report the state of health on the third and fifth days after the party lands to the District Health Office of the town in which the party chances to be on these days.