‘No possibility of closing the skies,’ Israel’s tourism minister promises

Tourists need not fear, says Yoel Razvozov at a tourism expo today even as COVID cases in Israel on the rise again

In what is likely a relief for Christians and many others who have been waiting to come to the Holy Land after two years of on-again – and mostly off-again – tourism to Israel, the country’s Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov vowed today that the country will remain open.

“I am proud to announce that after conversations with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, we agreed that there is no possibility of closing the skies to tourists,” Razvozov said.

The positive forecast comes as Israel finds itself at the beginning of what could be another wave of COVID infections. The number of new daily cases yesterday exceeded 15,000.

During the previous COVID wave, infections soared to more than 80,000 new cases a day or several days in a row leaving half a million people in quarantine and more than 1,000 hospitalized in serious condition. Even tourists were not immune and many were infected as well.

Nevertheless, even under these conditions, Israel eased most of its coronavirus restrictions and, from March 1, dropped its vaccine mandate as a prerequisite for entry.

Israel is hosting the International Mediterranean Tourism Market 2022 which opened today. The Israel Ministry of Tourism welcomed dozens of leading travel agents, bloggers and influencers from around the country.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Tourism Minister Director-General Dani Shahar, ministers and directors-general from tourism ministries from around the world, as well as leading members of Israel's tourism sector attended the expo today.

During the two-day event, the Tourism Ministry will address travel in a "post-pandemic world,” in addition to innovations in accessible tourism.