Investment company Gandan, controlled by Nohi Dankner and Avi Fisher, does not plan to buy Israel Land Development’s hotels, sources close to Gandan told "Globes" today. Top Gandan executives have not approached Israel Land Development (ILD) on the issue, nor have they made a proposal to this effect to Israel Land Development general manager Ofer Nimrodi.
The sources made their remarks to "Globes" in response to a report that ILD was looking into the possibility of selling the hotel chain, and that it received an offer from Gandan Investments, which is ILD’s partner in a number of tourism-related holdings.
According to the same sources, Gandan, which is invested in the tourism sector through its various holdings in tourism and aviation companies, is not interested in the hotel busness. "This has not been, and is not now part of our strategy; nor will it be in the years ahead. In the past two years we’ve been offered investment opportunities in hotels by Koor-Sheraton, Ampal, and others. We didn’t get into the sector, and we have no interest in doing so."
Gandan holds 53% of airlines representative Open-Sky, through which it controls wholesale tourism company Natour, charter company Yonital, and Mega Tours. Gandan also has a 71% stake in the Israir airline, and through it, in the Flying Carpet, the Third Millennium, and some overseas tourism-related companies.
Published by Israel's Business Arena August 24, 1999