Tel Aviv launches new tourism campaign following coronavirus crisis

Israelis who visit Tel Aviv will get benefits for staying at hotels in the city, including tours, two for the price of one tickets to tourist attractions and the use of the city's bikes for free.

A general view of Tel Aviv's skyline is seen through a hotel window in Tel Aviv (photo credit: REUTERS)
A general view of Tel Aviv's skyline is seen through a hotel window in Tel Aviv
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The Tel Aviv Municipality and the Tel Aviv Hotel Association will begin a new tourism campaign to encourage Israelis to visit the city following the sharp drop in tourists due to the coronavirus crisis.
Israelis who visit Tel Aviv will get various benefits for staying at the various hotels in the city, including tours, two for the price of one tickets to tourist attractions and the use of the city's bikes at free of charge.
A Tourism Ministry advertising campaign, made to encourage domestic tourism in the entirety of Israel, will begin on June 18 and continue all throughout July until August 1 and will run concurrently with Tel Aviv's campaign.
"The Tourism Ministry and the hotel union will continue to cooperate with the Tel Aviv Municipality to promote tourism for the duration of the coronavirus and even after," said Tourism Minister Asaf Zamir. "Summer is an excellent time for many Israelis who have yet to visit or experience Tel Aviv to find all the city has to offer and fall in love with it.
"Tel Aviv's thriving tourism industry was providing employment to thousands until the outbreak of the coronavirus," Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said. "We are determined to bring back this industry to its full activity while still keeping the purple note guidelines at beaches, restaurants, coffee shops, museums and other attractions."
Head of the Tel Aviv Hotel Association Jimmy Zohar said that "in the coming months, domestic tourism will be at the center of our attention in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area. The Israeli tourist knows the variety of hotels and other activities available and we're expecting that the combination of good prices on hotels and the various benefits will bring many Israelis to go out for to hotel for a break.
"Hundreds of thousands of Israelis choose to vacation in the city every year and stay at hotels. The impressive growth in the number of Israelis staying in hotels in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area is a testament to their quality," Zohar added.
Only 2,300 foreign visitors arrived in Israel during the entire month of May, according to official data, reflecting the impact of strict government restrictions on international travel amid the coronavirus pandemic.