Israel is reopening its doors to vaccinated tourists starting at the end of May, supported by the launch of a strategic campaign that ensures as many foreign tourist arrivals as possible in 2021. The announcement was made by Minister of Tourism Orit Farkash-Hacohen at a press conference held in Tel Aviv.
As part of its global campaign, the Israel Ministry of Tourism will launch signs in three major cities of Dubai, London and New York, all of which combine the potential for inbound tourism and a high vaccination rate.
In addition to the launch of the campaign, the Minister revealed additional steps taken by the Ministry of Tourism in preparation for the recommencement of tourism in 2021.The Ministry of Tourism is creating and promoting a number of large international events, each geared at keeping Israel in the hearts and minds of strategic groups of tourists.
“Israel today is a world leader in safety and health, and we will make sure every potential tourist knows this when planning their summer or winter vacation,” Farkash-Hacohen stated, “We cannot miss this opportunity – and, as minister of tourism, we won’t.”
Farkash-Hacohen also announced the ministry would reinstate a directive incentivizing foreign airlines to operate flights to the Ramon Airport located outside of Eilat. The incentive, which was in place before the COVID pandemic, is now being budgeted at a cap of NIS 25 Million, which will enable foreign carriers to receive financial incentives for every tourist they bring to Israel.
Before the spread of COVID-19 caused a nationwide shutdown in India, The Israel Ministry of Tourism’s India Office had started discussions with some of Indian commercial carriers to consider a new route to Israel – connecting Indian cities to the resort city of Eilat in southern Israel, known to the India market for MICE movements.
“In recent years, Indian travellers have become familiar with the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and now we want to introduce them to the resort city of Eilat, on the shores Red Sea. Once international travel resumes from India, we are confident that Eilat will be a destination on the minds of the Indian travellers, so we want to make progress with potential flight routes when the demand comes.” said Sammy Yahia, Director of Tourism, India & Philippines.
