(TAN): Israel Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen said the country was turning into both an attractive and a healthy destination with around 80% of its adult population having already received the Covid-19 vaccine.
Speaking at the ITB Berlin online conference on Tuesday, the minister said, “As Israel vaccinates its population, the tourism and hospitality sectors are reopening, allowing us to plan for the return of tourists soon… (and the destination is turning into) not only an attractive destination, but a healthy destination.”
“The tourism sector was shut down, it took it big blow,” Minister Farkash-Hacohen said on how the pandemic has affected Israeli tourism since March 2020. “Now we are hopeful tourists can soon return, allowing the various tourism-oriented businesses to get back on their feet.”
The need to open the skies was agreed upon by the other participants. “We need to find ways to open up travel,” Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority said, explaining why vaccinations were key to the reopening of the international tourism industry. “Also from a safety and security perspective. Travel has to be enjoyable.”
At the same time, Minister Sancho of Costa Rica said vaccinations are important, but that protocols regarding the health and wellbeing of employees and vacationers were just as vital. “We need to continue the important steps taken, and not forget them because of vaccinations,” he said.
“As minister of tourism, I would like to see more people entering with vaccinations or negative PCR tests so we have more tourists, but it is a gradual process,” Farkash-Hacohen said. “At the policy level, we need to balance opening the skies with protecting the public’s health.”
