Tourism Minister Haim Katz departed Tuesday for a diplomatic visit to Bahrain to strengthen tourism ties between the countries as part of the Abraham Accords. Katz is the first minister in the current government to conduct an official visit to Bahrain, and the first Israeli Tourism Minister to visit the country.
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The visit will be hosted by Bahrain's Minister of Tourism, Fatima Al-Zarifi, and during his stay, Katz will meet with Al-Zarifi and Bahrain's Minister of Treasury and Economy, Salman Al-Khalifa.
He will be accompanied by a delegation that includes the President of the Israel Hotel Association, and an official from the Association of Travel Agents in Israel, who will meet with key figures in Bahrain's tourism industry, including the owner of Gulf Air, representatives of the Tourism Association, and travel agents.
The main initiative underlying the visit is to promote tourism packages for the Asian market, including Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. This effort aims to advance regional tourism and strengthen the presence of Asian tourists in Israel.
Packages under development already, include an eight-day itinerary with three days in Bahrain and five in Israel, featuring two days in Jerusalem, a day at the Dead Sea, a day at the Sea of Galilee, and an additional day in Tel Aviv. There is also a reverse itinerary of five days in Israel and three days in Bahrain, as well as a ten-day package with two days in Dubai, two days in Bahrain, and four days in Israel.
"We will work to fulfill the potential of transforming the Middle East into a leading tourism destination in the Asian market and other distant destinations, Katz said. "Together, we will offer a rich tourism experience, combining history with modernization, culture, and excellent cuisine."