DRMumbai: Israel had its best tourism year to date, with more than 4.12 million tourist entries recorded from January to December 2018, an increase of about 14 per cent compared to 2017. Around 70,800 India travellers visited the country in 2018 leading to a 21 per cent increase over 2017. 2019 is anticipated to show even faster growth thanks to new flight connectivity, hotel openings and other tourism ministry initiatives.
Hospitality Updates
On the shore of the Dead Sea, the Israel Ministry of Tourism is setting up the exclusive Dead Sea Valley Tourism Complex, a project that includes the construction of a tourist complex with world-class luxury hotels and up to 5000 rooms. In addition, the project will include state-of-the-art spa and health facilities, leisure amenities, a visitor and an information centre, a multi-purpose conference centre, a commercial and entertainment centre as well as a modish promenade connecting the hotels and the various attractions/facilities. The development is slated for completion towards the end of 2019
The long awaited Six Senses Shaharut is slated to open in 2019 in the Arava Valley of the Negev Desert. The luxurious and sustainable property will be one of the biggest openings of the year with 58 ultra-luxe suites and villas. The hotel will feature an onsite desert activity centre and Earth Lab, camel stables, Senses Spa and authentic Bedouin dining experiences alongside access to nearby activities such as overnight camel camping, off-road driving, mountain climbing, mountain biking, jeep safaris, rappelling, wine tours, an outdoor cinema under the stars and more
Mizpe Hayamim, the Galilee hotel located just minutes from Safed and Rosh Pina, is slated to reopen towards the end June2019, just in time to welcome guests back for the sunny summer months. The hotel has been closed since April 2018 for renovations, including the addition of 17 guestrooms. The hotel has a large organic farm—among the most diverse in the world—including livestock and a dairy, which provides most of the fresh ingredients for the hotel’s kitchen and restaurants. It also features an expansive spa offering dozens of body and beauty treatments, a vegetarian restaurant serving breakfasts and dinners with gorgeous panoramic views, and, of course, the acclaimed Muscat restaurant.
Transportation News
Opened in September 2018, the much-anticipated Jerusalem High Speed Train has begun operating and currently reaches Ben Gurion Airport. In early 2019, the express train will connect Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. As the first electric railway line in Israel, the new train will take just 28 minutes from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, down from the current bus transportation of about 80 minutes
The Red Sea holiday resort town of Eilat saw the opening of a new airport on January 21, 2019 making it a more accessible tourist destination in Israel. The Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport is currently open for domestic services and will welcome international flights by April 2019. It has replaced the domestic airport in Eilat and the international airport at Ovdah and is expected to host 2.25 million passengers per year with estimated growth capacity of 4.25 million passengers per year
Ben Gurion Airport is set to undergo a major overhaul in 2019 that will see it become a more user-friendly airport and will cut down on long waiting lines during check-in. The changes will include six new baggage and security check booths in Terminal Three, a doubling of the capacity and use of Terminal One for short distance flights, common check-in stations that will allow passengers to check in to different airlines at the same station and added self-check-in booths. Additionally, the VIP Lounges are also expected to be redone to raise the comfort level of the passengers. Ben Gurion Airport is expecting to see 25 million travellers pass through its halls in 2019, thus qualifying it in the ‘Large Airport’ category
Dizengoff Square, in the heart of the White City district, has undergone a major construction project, lowering it to street level and making the whole area more pedestrian friendly. The renovation will be finished in 2019.
