On May 23, 2024, Mr. Anton Asfar, Secretary General of Caritas Jerusalem, along with Caritas team, congratulated the newly appointed Minister of Tourism, H.E. Mr. Hani Hayek.  

 Mr. Asfar discussed Caritas' efforts to support and promote the tourism sector through their interventions in the north and south of the West Bank. H.E. Hayek expressed his concerns about the struggling tourism sector and the risk of losing archaeological, historical, and holy sites in Gaza.

Mr. Asfar shared Caritas' vision to boost pilgrimage activities, including encouraging a Holy Land pilgrimage for His Holiness Pope Francis during the Year of Jubilee in 2025, which would greatly benefit the tourism sector.

Pope Francis officially declared 2025 a Year of Jubilee with a papal bull titled "Spes Non Confudit," meaning "Hope Does Not Disappoint." The Jubilee Year will begin with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve 2024.