The Ministry of Tourism continues to develop tourism in Eilat – it will invest about 41 million NIS in the southern resort town in 2012. The investment was allocated as part of a five-year plan, established in 2010 by the Tourism Ministry, to leverage the tourism potential of the resort. The investment will incorporate marketing, events, infrastructure and improving the tourism product in the city.

The Ministry of Tourism will invest most of its resources for Eilat in the area of marketing. Under the agreement, the Ministry of Tourism, in cooperation with the Hotels Association, will allocate about 30 million NIS for international marketing in 2012. In addition, the program will include providing assistance to charter operators, creating collaborations with wholesalers and travel agents as well as running advertising campaigns aimed at domestic tourism.

The government will invest more than 5 million NIS on cultural and sporting events in the city, while creating a constant calendar of events throughout the year. Among the most prominent events that will take place in 2012 are: the Red Sea Jazz Festival, Formula 3 race, desert half marathon and the European Triathlon Championships (which ended last week with the participation of hundreds of international competitors).

As part of the five-year program from 2010 to 2014 the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Finance and the Municipality of Eilat have assigned 103 million NIS for tourist infrastructure development and upgrading of existing and new infrastructure. As part of this, the Tourism Ministry will allocate approximately 6 million NI in 2012.

The city of Eilat has been rebranded under the slogan “Eilat Plus” with an investment of hundreds of millions of shekels from the Ministry of Tourism and the Municipality of Eilat. As part of this rebranding, the resort has been positioned as a city of events: sports, festivals, dance, shopping centers and attractions.

Minister of Tourism: Stas Misezhnikov: “For the Ministry of Tourism under my leadership, the city of Eilat represents an important element in Israel’s tourism product. In line with my directives, budgets and resources were allocated, a five-year plan was prepared for the city, the city was rebranded and incorporated into the national priority map. This year we will begin to reap the fruits of our investment – tourism industry development, construction of hotels, construction of new attractions and commerce, the creation of attractive events and preparing infrastructure”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)