The Chinese are coming
According to new agreement, Israel to be approved by Chinese government as tourist destination. Despite expected rise in number of tourists, tourism minister says there still need to improve infrastructure
The Israeli Tourism and Foreign ministries have been working the last few years to get Chinese approval as a tourist destination, one of a few destinations that have been approved by the Chinese Government.
The agreement is to be signed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni for Israel, and by the administrator of the Chinese Tourism Office, the equivalent of the Tourism Ministry in Israel.
Tourism Minister Ruhama Avraham-Balila had returned from a week-long work trip to China, and at the end of the month, two delegations from the Chinese Tourism Office are expected to arrive in Israel to explore cooperation methods with local tourist elements.
Air China is China's largest airline and one of the largest in the world. In the 1990s it had operated commercial flights from China to Israel, which were stopped due to the flights not being financially worthwhile. Recently Air China had signed a deal with the Israeli Krief Group, where the Israeli group would act as cargo salesmen for the airline in Israel.
"Every year, some 50 million Chinese visit the area close to Israel, and we need to prepare to absorb some of that", said Minister Avraham. According to her, the agreement would ease the issue of entrance visas to both countries and has a huge potential for increasing tourism in Israel.
In preparation for the increase in Chinese tourists, the tourism minister has announced the opening of an official branch in Beijing. It was also agreed that the Chinese Tourism Office would help Israel locate students that can be employed as guides for Chinese groups visiting Israel.
According to the minister, while in China, she had met with several local entrepreneurs who brought up the idea of opening several authentic Chinese restaurants, with food that Chinese are used to eat.
"The moment we sign that agreement, we become a preferred country" said Avraham, adding that "this will allow Chinese travel agents to sell packages to Israel, something that they could not do earlier. In addition this will lead to an increase in flight traffic between the two countries, so much so that more airlines would be needed".
Wanted: Hotel rooms
If you ask for Minister Avraham's opinion, the hotel industry in Israel has a problem. "The hotel industry is lacking in infrastructure, and if the tourism trade is going to grow in the next few years, as it has in the last year, by 2010 we will be 18,000 guest rooms short".According to Avraham, the office is pushing for the opening of 4,000 rooms that during the tourism crisis were converted to other uses; however, foreign investors simply refuse to invest in Israel due to all the red tape.
"The Tourism Ministry has decided to create a One Stop Shop group. The group would accompany any entrepreneur, from the moment his plans have been approved to the opening of the hotel. This group's objective is to expedite the proceedings, and to make sure that the hotel will be opened in two-three years, like anywhere else in the world."
The tourism minister added that after the Kadima primaries she intends to meet with Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz in order to discuss the shortage of seats on flights from Israel to Russia, due to the cancellation of requirement of entrance visas for both countries, and to promote the adding of flights between Israel and Germany.
"I plan to talk with Mofaz about Lufthansa's request to increase capacity, and requests of other airlines. We are going to present the Transportation Ministry the great potential of incoming tourism and I believe that the transportation ministry will act accordingly."
Minister Avraham added that due to the financial crisis that the US is going through, the number of tourists from the US will drop, so Israel must prepare to exploit the potential of incoming Chinese and Russian tourism.
