For the first time ever, the Miss Universe competition is set to take place in Israel in December, the Tourism Ministry announced on Tuesday, in a joint statement with Miss Universe Organization (MUO).
The beauty pageant, which marks its 70th anniversary this year, will be hosted in Israel's southernmost city of Eilat, for three weeks of television events, which include the semi-finals and finals of the competition, as well as the national costume show, galas, charity events and more.
In the statement, MUO noted Israel's attractiveness, rich history, vast amount of tourist and resort sites and experience at hosting international events, such as the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest, as key in choosing Israel as the host country for this year's event, which will be presented by American TV personality and entertainer Steve Harvey.
With the live show being viewed by 500 million people worldwide annually, according to the Hollywood Reporter, and over 1.3 billion people following the pageant by either broadcast, print or social media, an event of international proportions such as the Miss Universe pageant will establish Eilat and Israel as a prominent tourist destination. The show will be broadcast to close to 160 countries all over the world.
"Israel has been on our shortlist of host countries for a number of years due to its rich history, beautiful landscapes, myriad of cultures and appeal as a global tourist destination," said President of the MUO Paula M. Shugart. "It became clear...that Israel has the best resources to host Miss Universe. We look forward to deepening our commitment to creating meaningful cultural conversation, connection and understanding through this partnership," Shugart added.
"We in Israel are delighted to host the 70th anniversary celebrations of the iconic Miss Universe pageant," commented Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov. We have successfully faced the COVID-19 crisis head on, therefore, today we are among the first countries to host an international event," he added.
Razvozov also said Miss Universe is "an event celebrating women’s empowerment, optimism, tolerance and desire for excellence, that crosses every geographical and national border."
The statement acknowledged Israeli Miss Universe producers Tali Eshkoli and Assaf Blecher as responsible for bringing the beauty pageant to Israel for the first time ever. "For me, this is a dream come true. Having previously produced Miss Universe, I have been working for years to bring the production to Israel. I believed it would happen, mainly to showcase to the world the story of our country as a warm, loving and accepting country," said Blecher.