For the first time, and with cooperation with the Tourism Ministry, Edelweiss, Switzerland’s leading leisure travel airline and a member of the Lufthansa group, is to open a new direct route from Zurich to Eilat from 28 October 2018.

Edelweiss, Switzerland’s leading leisure travel airline and part of the Lufthansa group, has just announced that it will open a new direct route from Zurich to Eilat from 28 October 2018.

Tourism Ministry Director-General Amir Halevi met with senior officials from Edelweiss at the recent ITB travel fair in Berlin to close the final details of the deal before the opening of the flight and the grant given by the ministry in line with the Eilat flights directive. The Eilat flight directive, in which the Tourism Ministry offers an incentive of €45 and the Eilat Hotels Association €15 per passenger on new direct routes into Eilat Uvda, has, to date, resulted in the arrival of more than 130,000 passengers in Eilat, injecting NIS 600 million into the economy. As part of the marketing efforts related to the resort, the ministry is also working to improve the tourism infrastructure and the cleanliness of the resort’s promenade.

In the press release announcing the opening of the route, Edelweiss wrote that “Eilat, the southernmost city in Israel, offers numerous possibilities for active and varied holidays. The region on the Red Sea is considered a diving and snorkeling paradise due to the clear water and the colorful and diverse underwater world. In addition to beautiful beaches, holidaymakers will find numerous adventure parks and water sports in Eilat.”

Tourism Minister Yariv Levi “I congratulate Edelweiss on its decision to begin operations with Israel with its route to Eilat – the first time in many years that there is a direct flight from Switzerland to Eilat. This is a great vote of confidence in Israel’s tourism product and yet more proof that the Eilat flight directive, which the ministry initiated to encourage tourism to the resort, is bearing fruit. I am convinced that this new route will lead to a further increase in incoming tourism, combined with the ministry’s exceptional marketing efforts that are generating record-breaking levels of incoming tourism.”

The flights from Zurich to Eilat are available for booking with immediate effect at flyedelweiss.com and all the usual sales channels and can be combined perfectly with connections to Tel Aviv from SWISS.

About Edelweiss

Edelweiss is Switzerland’s leading leisure travel airline and flies to the most beautiful destinations in the world. With a fleet of 15 aircraft in 2018, the airline operates flights to 68 destinations in 33 countries. Every year, some 1.8 million passengers fly with Edelweiss to their holiday destination and enjoy a relaxing travel experience. This includes great service on board provided with the warmth, reliability and hospitality that Edelweiss is known for. Edelweiss is an affiliate of Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) and a member of the Lufthansa Group.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)