Alternative Tourism Group (ATG) and Study Center (http://www.atg.ps/) is a Palestinian NGO based in Beit Sahour

Beit Sahour

Beit Sahour is a Palestinian town east of Bethlehem under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority...

 (Bethlehem

Bethlehem

Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...

). They specialize in tours and pilgrimages that include critical examinations of the history, culture, and politics of the Holy Land.

Established in 1995 by late Jamal Salameh, Majed Nassar, Rifat Odeh Kassis

Rifat Odeh Kassis

Rifat Odeh Kassis is a Palestinian Christian was born in Beit Sahour, in the West Bank. An active human rights and political and community activist, he was arrested and imprisoned several times by Israel....

, Ghassan Andoni and Elias Rishmawi, ATG operates according to the tenets of Fair Trade

Fair trade

Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...

 and justice tourism

Justice tourism

Justice tourism or Solidarity tourism is an ethic for travelling that holds as its central goals the creation of economic opportunities for the local community, positive cultural exchange between guest and host through one-on-one interaction, the protection of the environment, and...

, that is, tourism that holds as its central goals the creation of economic opportunities for the local community, positive cultural exchange between guest and host through one-on-one interaction, the protection of the environment, and political/historical education.

ATG works to encourage all tourism operators to abandon exploitative mass tourism and to adopt practices that positively affect the host population in Palestine - not the occupiers. Through these methods, ATG seeks to promote a positive image of Palestine and its people and to contribute to establishment of a just peace in the area.

Programs

ATG's programs include:

• the Olive Picking Campaign in October, in which Internationals help local farmers during the olive harvest to reach their olive trees which are located near the Israeli separation barrier
  Israeli separation barrier
  Israel maintains barriers along most of its borders for security reasons. These include:*Israeli Gaza Strip barrier*Israeli West Bank barrier...
  
   and the Israeli Jewish settlements.
• the Olive Tree Planting Campaign each February. This aims to planting trees (mainly olive trees) in the lands which are threatened to be confiscated by the Israeli authorities.
• Bed & Breakfast at local houses around Bethlehem, where visitors get direct contact with Palestinians at their homes.
• the Nativity Trail Program which is a walking tour from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Participants can enjoy the nature of Palestine, visit Palestinian villages, refugee camps, meet farmers, villagers, enjoy the Palestinian hospitality and follow the steps of Joseph and Mary in their journey to Bethlehem.

AWARDS

ATG won the TO DO AWARD 2006
http://www.todo-contest.org/preistraeger-en/alternative01.html
at Berlin's International Tourism Boerse for social responsible tourism.

Publications

ATG published “Palestine & Palestinians”, http://www.palestineonlinestore.com/books/palestineandpalestinians.html the first Palestinian comprehensive guidebook to Palestine, including the occupied territories, Jerusalem, the '48 territories and the Syrian Golan Heights. It provides an in-depth, updated journey through the entire range of Palestinian culture: ancient and modern history, archaeology, religion, architecture and politics, including the daily realities of Israeli Occupation.

Networking

ATG initiated a network called the Palestinian Initiative for Responsible Tourism http://www.pirt.ps/ which published the Code of Conduct in the Holy Land.

ATG is Member of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO) http://www.pngo.net