Government approves NIS 300 million financial aid for Israeli hotels
About 50% of all visitors to hotels are tourists, which means that without them, it is nearly impossible to maintain the everyday operational fees that the hotels require.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFClub Hotel Eilat (photo credit: Courtesy)
Finance Minister Israel Katz and Tourism Minister Asaf Zamir have agreed on an aid plan of NIS 300 million for the Israeli tourism industry.The ministers met Monday morning with representatives of Israel's tourism industry and heard about challenges the industry faces as a result of the ban on tourists to Israel followed by the coronavirus pandemic. This comes after the industry had enjoyed increased revenues before the outbreak hit.About 50% of all visitors to hotels are tourists, which means that without them, it is nearly impossible to maintain the everyday operational fees that the hotels require.The coronavirus pandemic has completely stopped the entry of tourists into Israel since March. Considering the fact that tourists are not estimated to return in a significant extent in the next few months, the Finance Minister and Tourism Minister have decided to allocate a budget for aiding the hotels in the future, decreasing their dependency on overseas tourism, as well as implementing changes to the industry as a whole.In a press release from the Finance Ministry, Finance Minister Israel Katz said that "as part of the financial aid to help the economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic, we have agreed on a NIS 300 million for assisting the tourism industry, as was done in similar crises in the past. Tourism is an inseparable aspect of Israel's economy, and an important one at that. This step is another important step in recovering Israel's economy."Tourism Minister Asaf Zamir added that "the entire tourism industry is in a severe crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic and it is our job to act swiftly in order to bring it back on track and assist in its recovery. I am grateful for Finance Minister Israel Katz for his devotion to this issue."
