The Jerusalem Municipality has invested millions in modernizing the center of Jerusalem and creating many pedestrian malls in order to elevate commerce, tourism, and culture. Nir Barkat, mayor of Jerusalem, said, "We realized if we wanted to increase our market share of tourism and the time people spend in Jerusalem, nightlife is key". In recent years, as part of this strategy, many bars and restaurants have opened in the alleyways of the Mahane Yehuda market to draw young and sophisticated customers. Free Wi-Fi internet access is now available to customers in some of the market's shops.