Minister Herzog announces his decision
צילום: לירון אלמוג
Tour agents concerned over Herzog's departure
Tourism industry representatives express their disappointment over minister's decision to give up his post in favor of Welfare Ministry, fear efforts to rehabilitate incoming tourism following second Lebanon war will now reach dead end
Representatives of Israel's tourism industry have expressed their regret and deep disappointment following Tourism Minister Isaac Herzog's announcement Thursday that he would give up his post in favor of the Welfare Ministry.
Many of them expressed their fear that Herzog's efforts to rehabilitate the tourism industry following the second Lebanon war would now reach a dead end.
Minister Herzog was faced with many challenges in light of the difficult crisis in incoming tourism following the war. He recently stood by the tour agents and tried to help them obtain the State of Israel's marketing and advertising budget, amounting to $50 million, as recommended by the Ernst & Young report.
"We are very sorry that he is leaving," said Ami Etgar, director-general of the Incoming Tour Operators Association. "First, because he was a good tourism minister, and second, because tourism in Israel is still shaken up following the Lebanon war and is in need of continuous leadership. A minister's arrival and departure within a few months is not good for tourism."
According to Etgar, in spite of Herzog's short tenure in office, he had several important achievements, including insisting on compensation for hoteliers following the war, as well as accepting the Ernst & Young report as a strategic platform for the Ministry's operations.
"He went in the right direction in terms of setting priorities, and his ideas were practical rather than hallucinatory," Etgar concluded. "He understood the sector's problems, was very active and had a wonderful way of expressing himself in English, which is very important when dealing with elements abroad.
"He is in the midst of making, and it's a shame that they won't let him complete his work. I can only wish him good luck in his new post and hope that he will be replaced by a person with skills, and most importantly, someone who will suit the job."
Disappointment in north and south
Tour operators in the north were also disappointed and expressed their protest over Herzog's departure.
"I heard about the decision this morning and it made me feel very bad," said Haim Barom, director-general of the Western Galilee Tourism Association. "In the summer of 2006 we experienced a catastrophe here. We have barely managed to recover, and if we manage, it's mostly thanks to the minister's blessed activity.
"It's a pity that all the efforts exerted with the minister during the past few months will now be lost. The industry is not build today for a long waiting period and the new minister will need a studying period which may cause damage. Speaking for myself and for many other tour agents, I say that we are highly disappointed and hope the decision will change."
Meir Levy, chairman of the Upper Galilee Tourism Forum, said that the Israeli government's unbearable lightness of trading ministries while abandoning the tourism industry, particularly following such difficult years.
"Minister Herzog was an active and caring minister throughout his tenure, who dealt with the north's tour agents during the entire second Lebanon war," Levy said. "The Tourism Ministry staff and the minister himself responded to the numerous appeals during and after the war, and most tour agents received compensation, unlike other industries in the confrontation line in the north, which are still waiting for compensation.
"It's unthinkable that the State's attitude towards the tourism industry is so degrading. The minister should be allowed to utilize the moves and the projects he initiated to the fullest, in order to strengthen tourism after such a harsh period instead of creating a situation of instability.
"Minister Herzog was a serious minister who put together an excellent team and has been working hard in order to strengthen tourism and the tour agents. The Tourism portfolio should be treated more seriously, and in general ministers should be allowed to complete their terms in office in a serious and professional manner."
Hotel industry also fears future
The Israel Hotel Association also issued a statement saying that hoteliers regretted the minister's departure, as he had started making real changes in the industry.
Eli Gonen, president of the Hotel Association, said that "the arrival of a new minister is a sign of another period of stagnation in the tourism industry. The new minister will most probably ask for a period of time to study the field, while incoming tourism has been in an ongoing crisis since the Lebanon war.
"The period of stagnation in decision making in order to save incoming tourism will cost the economy the loss of tourist entries, the loss of product, as well as the loss of manpower."
El Al CEO Haim Romano noted that tourism was an important economic strategic asset to the State of Israel.
"We thank Minister Herzog for the productive and crucial cooperation between the Tourism Ministry and El Al, and for his vigorous activity aimed at encouraging and rehabilitating tourism to Israel and from Israel, which was critically damaged following the war.
"We hope the productive cooperation will continue and we hope to raise the public awareness in Israel and worldwide and to rehabilitate tourism in Israel as a business opportunity for the Israeli economy."
