Factors influencing foreign visitor's perceptions and intention

The tourism industry is an important support for future economic growth in Palestine. It has major sacred sites for three main religions Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Bethlehem district has most religious and heritage places that attract numerous international visitors and also Ramallah city. Destination characteristics including political instability and perceived risk, destination image and revisit intention are essential factors in understanding tourism performance and the success of a country's tourism industry. The objective of this study was to investigate international visitor's perception in terms of destination characteristics including political instability, perceived risk and likelihood of revisiting Palestine in general and to Bethlehem and Ramallah cities specifically. The influence of demographic characteristics of tourist including nationality, gender, age and travel experiences (frequency of visit and length of stay) was also examined along with the relationship between dependent variables.