Tag: Israel

It was an event that could set a precedent in a world longing for a return to normal – a music concert attended by scores of Israelis vaccinated against COVID-19. The open-air concert in Tel Aviv on Wednesday was one of the first in a program to restart cultural events by restricting attendance to people who have been vaccinated or those with immunity after contracting the disease. Attendees were required to show a “Green Pass”, a government-validated certificate showing they had received both doses of the vaccine more than a week prior to the event or that they had recovered ... Read more

An Israeli bar doubled as a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Thursday, with free drinks given to those who got the shots. More than 43% percent of Israel’s 9 million population have received at least one dose of Pfizer Inc’s vaccine, the Health Ministry says. But officials worry that turnout may wane and hold back Israeli plans to begin reopening the economy. With many bars forced to close because of the pandemic, Tel Aviv’s Jenia gastropub, in partnership with the municipality, opened its doors to an unusual type of patron: new vaccines, drawn by the offer of drinks on the house. ... Read more

Dubai is likely to benefit the most in aviation from the United Arab Emirates’ historic deal to normalize relations with Israel, Bloomberg has reported, gaining a new stream of travellers that can help the Gulf travel hub bounce back from the coronavirus crisis that has decimated air traffic. The agreement between the two countries sets aside decades of enmity, opening ties through air travel, tourism, investment, security and telecommunications. Delegations from the two countries are set to meet soon to work out the details. The opening will give the UAE’s biggest carriers – Emirates and Etihad — an opportunity to feed Israeli passengers through ... Read more

Eli Rozenberg, the 30-year-old scion of a New York family in the nursing home business, made his offer on Monday for control of El Al Airlines, Israel’s flag carrier. He said that he and his family were prepared to pay $75 million for an allocation of shares that would give him a 44.99% stake. According to a report by Haaretz, the stake is the maximum he can offer to achieve control of Israel’s flag carrier without having to make a general offer for all the shares, under Israeli regulations. The offer, which was presented to the Israel Companies Authority and the ... Read more

The locals refer to it as the most cosmopolitan city in Israel, Israelis who live in the northern parts of Israel see it as the prefect city for holidays and shopping. Tourists sees it as an eternal sunshine city. The truth is that in Eilat, everyone can find what they are looking for. The southern tax free city of Israel located on the Red Sea offers a winning combination of sea and desert, and most importantly – ideal weather all year long and water temperature of 21C in the winters! Looking for fun in the sun? Here are a few ... Read more

Beyond Israel’s most popular tourist attractions – such as Jerusalem’s Old City, the Dead Sea and Tel Aviv’s White City – the diverse country has lush forests to the north and a vibrant desert to the south, offering ample opportunities for adventure travelers to explore. Whether visitors are looking to rappel off an arch into a great and beautiful abyss, hike cross country or swim among the dolphins, adventure tourism in Israel is booming. Spanning only 263 miles, adventure-seekers will appreciate Israel’s offerings for adventurers of every level and interest, whether they are traveling north, south, east or west. In ... Read more

Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) conducted a roadshow in Kochi on 29th August to enhance commercial ties with the Indian travel trade fraternity. In an effort to retain the growth momentum of Indian arrivals to Israel, the team interacted with over 150 key travel and tour operators, MICE providers and up-market leisure operators. The event commenced with a presentation leading to an interactive session with the IMOT team. The roadshow included interactive B2B sessions, education programmes and workshops to aid trade members in planning itineraries and responding to customer queries. The Israeli delegation was led by the newly appointed Director ... Read more

Israel is every Epicurean’s dream destination and a wide variety of cafés serve everything from Arabic, European to Asian fare. But no matter what one picks, the food in the Jewish heartland will always be infused with the warmth of the Mediterranean sun, the goodness of fresh dairy products and meats, garnished with garden crisp fruits, nuts and vegetables. Here’s a low down on dishes you must indulge in whether you’re in a market, street or at a restaurant in Israel Challah – A special Jewish ceremonial bread, braided and brushed with egg white that is baked to perfection Sabich ... Read more

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor in Israel Israel is a nation that has culinary influences from all around the world and over the years Indian cuisine has taken centre stage with many celebrity chefs and culinary experts visiting the country for menu engineering, special collaborations and food festivals. Each region in the country offers its own adapted cuisine which is evident in the many popular food markets in the country. A wide variety of cafés and restaurants serve everything from Arabic, European, Indian and Asian fare. Often referred to as ‘The Shuk’ by the locals, the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem is ... Read more

Singing sensation Jennifer Lopez is all set to perform in Israel for the first time at Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park on August 1, 2019. The pop star and actress will visit the country during the international leg of her ‘It’s My Party’ world tour, a 25-show engagement kicking off on June 7. J. Lo’s show is expected to attract thousands of people in one of the summer’s blockbuster concerts, at the same venue that will host legendary Bon Jovi on July 25. In her two-decade career, Lopez has sold 80 million records worldwide with 16 top-10 hit songs and three ... Read more

Israel recorded 1.14 million overseas visitors in the first quarter of this year, up 14 per cent from the corresponding period of 2018. With new travel friendly services initiated in the country, Israel is certainly set to welcome record millions by the end of 2019. Israel Pass – Make your trip smooth and easy and secure entry into six best national parks and nature reserves including Masada, Ein Gedi, Caesarea, Qumran and enjoy unlimited use of public transportation throughout Israel with the all new Israel Pass. Launched by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, the Ministry of Transport and Road ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: Niv Shafran Burning Man’s Israeli offshoot, Midburn is a special 5-day festival held in the Negev Desert around May – June every year. It is the second largest regional Burning Man after Africa Burns where, for 6 days, a temporary city is set up creating a platform for communal life style, creativity, art and self-expression. Unlike a typical music festival with big acts, one can camp in the desert that host parties and in the center of the playa are incredible art displays and a huge temple that is burned on the final night. This year, Midburn will ... Read more

Israeli airline Arkia will launch direct flights to two new routes to India starting from September 28, 2019. The carrier will begin non-stop flight operations from Tel Aviv to Goa and Kochi with 220 seats and a full flight service on board. With one-way duration of seven hours, Arkia will fly once a week to Goa on Tuesdays and twice a week to Kochi on Mondays and Fridays. From 27th October 2019, the flight to the latter city will move to Sundays and Thursdays. The air travel will run all year round except during the monsoon season in India. This ... Read more

The number of tourists who visited Israel in January 2019 saw an 11 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. The current statistics also show a 35 per cent increase from January 2017, according to the Tourism Ministry. A record four million tourists visited Israel last year. In December, Euromoniter International reported that Jerusalem is the world’s fastest-growing tourism destination. “The rise in the number of tourists over several years is proof of the quality of the Israeli tourism industry. I hope and believe that 2019 will continue this unprecedented momentum in tourism that we have created in ... Read more

Four million tourists visited Israel in 2018, an increase of 13 per cent from 2017. This year saw an increase in tourist arrivals of 13 per cent compared to 2017, and 38 per cent compared to 2016, while tourism revenue exceeded NIS 24 billion ($6.3 billion), according to the ministry. The ministry said the increase is due in part to a NIS 350 million ($93 million) marketing campaign promoting Israel as a travel destination around the world, including, in the US, Germany, Russia, Italy, England, China, Ukraine, Brazil, and the Philippines. The investment yielded an average increase of 13 per cent ... Read more