How Jerusalem Is Adapting for Wheelchair Tourism

Israel has long attracted visitors of many faiths. Thanks to recent construction and renovation efforts, physically challenged travelers can tour certain areas that were previously off-limits.

Jerusalem’s Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in non-COVID years is normally visited by 10 million visitors each year, but parts of the city were inaccessible to wheelchair travelers.

As part of a multi-year project, the East Jerusalem Development Company (PMI) has worked to provide better accessibility to all three of the city’s holy sites, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. Ironically, the pandemic might have helped speed up progress.

Due to diminished tourism during the pandemic, PMI has been able to take this time to continue making Jerusalem more accessible by adding another kilometer of accessible roads and adding elevators to The Tower of David. It claims that the results have made Jerusalem’s Old City one of the world’s largest accessible historic cities.

The work, which has lasted approximately 10 years at a cost of 20 million NIS and in cooperation with seven government agencies, included a mission to enlarge the narrow and picturesque alleyways of the city, which can now accommodate wheelchairs, carts and special emergency vehicles…