Hotels in Eilat and the Dead Sea are set to reopen as part of the "Green Tourist Islands" plan. Under the plan, which has been approved by the cabinet, and is due to be enacted by the Knesset over the next few days, visitors will be required to show a negative Covid-19 test from the previous few days before being allowed into the hotel area.
The new plan has already passed its first Knesset reading and the bill must pass the Knesset Legislative Committee and its second and third reading before "Green Tourist Islands" plan can be implemented.
Hotels throughout Israel have been closed since mid-September just before Rosh Hashana, when the Second Lockdown went into effect. This followed a highly successful summer for domestic tourism in Eilat and the Dead Sea, with Israelis forced to forego their usual summer vacation abroad due to the virus situation.
The "Green Tourist Islands" plan has been pushed by Minister of Tourism Orit Farkash-Hacohen and is defined as a pilot project, although no timescale has been given. For the time being tourist attractions, restaurants, cafes and bars near the hotels will remain closed. Hotel workers will also be required to take Covid-19 tests before returning to work.
Isrotel CEO Lior Raviv said that the chain's hotels in Eilat and the Dead Sea will reopen gradually. In the first stage Isrotel will open two hotels in Eilat. "In line with demand we will open six more hotels in Eilat and two at the Dead Sea. We are talking about half of the chain's hotels and that's good news for us. Our booking center is already seeing a good rate of bookings, and I estimate that occupancy will be high while the list of green countries remains closed."
After Serbia has been switched from the green to red country list by Israel, Greece remains the only country to which Israelis can travel to and return from without going into isolation. And with a rising infection rate and nighttime lockdown, Greece is likely to lose that status soon. Dubai will allow Israelis to enter without going into isolation and Israelis will be exempt from isolation on returning home but daily direct flights don't begin until next month.
Raviv is building on a similar situation to the summer when Israelis were forced to vacation at home as a default option. "Some people have postponed their bookings from the holidays and others are new bookings. As soon as we are certain, we will begin marketing with a 20% discount and bring back employees to the booking center."
Eilat will face tough competition this winter from Dubai where the weather is even warmer but Raviv is not intimidated. "Even when there were 40 flights a week to Turkey, Eilat still functioned, and I believe it will be like that now."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 2, 2020
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