The Knesset on Monday, 26 Tammuz, approved the Hotel Law in its second and final readings, making it law. The program will result in greater efficiency and a significant shortening and simplification of hotel planning and construction in Israel, a significant increase in the number of hotel rooms and, as a result, a reduction in the cost of vacationing in Israel.

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin: “The completion of the Hotels Law legislative procedure is the most significant step ever taken to reduce the cost of vacationing in Israel. The law will allow for the immediate and economically-viable construction of thousands of hotel rooms. The law strictly preserves environmental values and the beaches, giving the Committee for the Protection of the Coastal Environment the responsibility for avoiding any damage to Israel’s beaches. Any attempt to claim that there is a fear of risk to the beaches or that changes have been made that prevent such damage is nothing more than baseless demagoguery. Increasing hotel supply and the emphasis on building budget hotels will finally lead to a reduction in the costs of vacationing in Israel, making the country an attractive destination for tourists from overseas, as well as Israeli citizens. ”

The main points of the new law:

For the first time, hotels will be defined as national infrastructure and be approved in a fast and simple procedure in the National Infrastructure Committee.

The significance: shortening and simplification of the hotel planning and construction process. The possibility of receiving a permit for a chain of hotels throughout Israel from one committee in a swift procedure.

For the first time, a sub-committee for tourism issues will be set up on a regional basis. These committees and an independent local committee can approve an addition of up to 20% of the hotel rights for residential purposes within the framework of converting or expanding hotels.

The significance: Increased commercial viability, reduced risk for entrepreneurs, and possibility for credit for building hotels.

The result: an immediate increase in the number of hotel rooms, an increase in competition and a reduction in the cost of vacationing in Israel.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)