Lack of financial assistance is 'death certificate' to tourism sector

In a meeting with the Finance Committee, Director General of Inbound Tourism Organizers said that the tourism industry will collapse if the coronavirus financial assistance program is not extended.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated: MAY 21, 2021 20:20
THERE IS virtually no traffic in places that are usually packed with tourists. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
THERE IS virtually no traffic in places that are usually packed with tourists.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
A meeting about the difficult economic position of the tourism industry was held on Wednesday with Yossi Fattal, Director General of the Inbound Tourism Organizers in Israel, and the Finance Committee headed by MK Moshe Gafni.
During the meeting, Fattal stressed the importance of the tourism industry and their contribution to the Israeli economy, and requested that continued financial support be provided even after the end of the Coronavirus Law, which provided struggling business with financial support, in June.
He reminded the committee that the government has a financial responsibility to the tourism industry for as long as are prevented from working, and said that unless the government provide additional support many tourism businesses will collapse entirely.
"The end of the [financial support] in June is a death certificate for the entire industry, which is responsible for 10% of all jobs in the periphery of the country and directly brings in large sums of money for over 40,000 businesses across Israel," said Fattal, emphasizing the impact of his sector.
"We are the oil that drives the wheels of industry, so continuing to support the organizers of inbound Israeli tourism is an investment and not a subsidy," he continued, noting that the tourism industry contribute 8.5 billion shekel a year to the Israeli economy.
He concluded by referencing the recent military operation in the Gaza strip, and the ongoing violence across mixed population cities in Israel.
"Many cities such as Tiberias, Nazareth, Acre, Safed, and Jerusalem depend on organized tourism from abroad. It is no coincidence that many of these localities are mixed cities that have fallen victim to Operation Guardian of the Walls. It is possible for us to help accelerate the rehabilitation and a faster return to the desired routine," Fattal said.


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