Israel To Woo UAE Visitors As It Prepares To Relaunch Tourism

Israel announced plans on Tuesday to attract visitors from the United Arab Emirates, after last year’s historic normalisation deal.

Israel’s borders have largely been closed since March 2020, when it imposed its first of three pandemic lockdowns.

“Dubai has great tourism potential for Israel,” Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen told reporters, as she unveiled a marketing push including a billboard campaign in Dubai.

Beyond tourism, economic cooperation has played a central role in the so-called Abraham Accords — most recently with Monday’s announcement that Israeli gas firm Delek had agreed in principle to sell its stake in a vast offshore project to the UAE’s Muba

As well as the new UAE tourism pitch, Farkash-Hacohen said Israel was expected a resurgence of visitors from traditional destinations including Britain and the United States.

Farkash-Hacohen said her office will market the upcoming Pride Parade in Tel Aviv, an international music festival and a cycling tour to help attract visitors.

The tourism ministry will also offer perks to airlines flying to the Red Sea resort city of Eilat.