FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2000: ISRAELI TOUR GUIDES ARE ONCE AGAIN GUIDING TOURISTS IN BETHLEHEM

A JOINT TOURISM MINISTRY AND CIVIL ADMINISTRATION PILOT PROGRAM WHICH BEGAN TODAY WILL ALLOW ISRAELI TOUR GUIDES TO GUIDE IN THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY AS WELL

For the first time since the second intifada: 50 Jewish and Druze tour guides and drivers have returned today to guiding in Bethlehem, as part of a new pilot project from the Tourism Ministry and the Civil Administration. Since the outbreak of the intifada in 2000, Israeli citizens have been forbidden from entering the Palestinian Authority. Recently, the Tourism Ministry contacted the IDF and the Civil Administration, requesting permission for tour guides to guide in Bethlehem, a city visited by many Christian tourists and pilgrims.

The Tourism Ministry’s initiative comes as a result of many requests from the tourism industry - tour guides, travel agencies, tour operators and tourists themselves - who have asked that the professional guides accompanying the groups during their visit to Israel be allowed to continue guiding them during their visit to Bethlehem. Following the Tourism Ministry request, the Civil Administration in early January issued clear regulations for Israeli tour guides and drivers entering Bethlehem.  About 500 tour guides and drivers requested participation in the Tourism Ministry’s pilot project and the 50 who were selected by lottery will begin guiding today in Bethlehem.  

In a briefing that took place today given by Civil Administration Bethlehem DCO Commander Lt.-Col. Eyah Sirhan, prior to the guides’ entry into the Palestinian Authority, information was given about entry into Area A, a list of emergency telephone numbers, a ‘tourist trail’ and procedures related to entry and exit from the area. The safety and security of the tour guides was the top priority in assessing this project and the regulations that were presented today had been drawn up accordingly. 

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov praised the tour guides’ response to participating in the pilot and the cooperation with the Palestinian Authority: “I see great importance in the tour guiding in Bethlehem which will facilitate an increase in the scope of the tour guides’ work, allow for top-level guiding for tourists, an increase in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and, of no less importance, an improvement in the international image of Israel and the Holy Land as a safe destination for tourists. I hope that this pilot program will receive cooperation from all the various entities and will generate an increase in tourism activities in the near future.”

This pilot program is in accordance with the Paris agreement which states that there will be reciprocity in guiding tourists. In the last two years, cooperation between the Tourism Ministry and the tourism entities in the Palestinian Authority has been strengthened and joint activities to promote tourism have generated over a million visitors and tourists to Bethlehem in 2008 and more than 1.3 million in 2009.

(Courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)
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June 8, 2010

THE TOURISM MINISTRY’S 5-YEAR PLAN TO PROMOTE CYCLING INDUSTRY WAS APPROVED TODAY BY THE MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON THE ECONOMY AND SOCIETY

TOURISM MINISTER STAS MISEZHNIKOV: “THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE AT A COST OF OVER 100 MILLION SHEKEL WILL GENERATE MOMENTUM IN COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN THE PERIPHERY AND CONTRIBUTE TO ENRICHING THE RANGE OF TOURISM PRODUCTS THAT WILL MAKE ISRAEL AN ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION FOR CYCLISTS FROM ISRAEL AND OVERSEAS”.

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov today presented the 100 million shekel-plus multi-year plan to promote the cycling industry in Israel to the Ministerial Committee on the Economy and Society, headed by Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz. The plan includes the physical infrastructure development of a comprehensive and accessible network of cycling paths the length and breadth of the country that connects population centers with open areas, a range of landscapes and leading places of interest.

Over 100 million shekels have been invested in the implementation of the plan which was developed in response to the March 2008 government decision to promote cycling. In line with the decision, the Tourism Ministry in cooperation with the KKL-JNF, the Cycling Association, the Nature and Parks Authority, the Development of the Galilee and the Negev authorities and other ministries and bodies, has developed a multi-year action plan that includes infrastructure development of 4,900 kilometers of varied cycling paths and the accompanying facilities, as well as educational, community and explanatory activities. These cycling paths will join the existing 600 kilometers of trails and about 1,400 kilometers of paths already budgeted from other sources. The cycling path network and the complementary infrastructure will provide an answer to the requirements of domestic cycling tourism and a basis for developing incoming cycling tourism, according to target markets, levels of difficulty, tour packages etc.  

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov: “The development of a national cycling infrastructure will contribute to enriching the range of tourism products in the periphery and generate momentum for small and medium businesses, while creating new jobs. About 80% of all the cycling paths will be developed in the Negev and Galilee and there’s no doubt that this investment will bear fruit both regionally and in terms of its contribution to the economy generally. It’s important to note that creating this infrastructure will also make Israel an attractive destination for cyclists from around the world and a marketing program will also be prepared accordingly.”

The international cycling tourism market is worth billions of dollars a year, with one of the highest growth potentials. About 19 million cycling tourists visit Europe every year, staying in 30,000 lodgings.

(Courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)
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June 7, 2010

A Bottomless Pit

A Rare Discovery – After 3,500 Years More than 100 Impressive and Intact Ancient Cultic Vessels were Found in a Rock-hollow next to the Tishbi (Yoqne'am) Junction

In an excavation the Israel Antiquities Authority is conducting along the route of the northern gas pipeline planned by the Israel Natural Gas Lines Company

A natural hollow in the bedrock that was exposed in archaeological excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority prior to the installation of the northern gas pipeline by the Israel Natural Gas Lines Company, at the foot of Tel Qashish (Tell el Qassis), did not cease to provide ancient surprises. For two weeks archaeologists of the Israel Antiquities Authority excavated the contents of the rock-hollow and removed from it more than 100 intact cultic vessels and other extraordinary items that are c. 3,500 years old. Again and again, every time the excavators thought they reached the bottom of the cavity a new and fascinating layer of complete vessels was discovered beneath the one that was previously dismantled.

In the past the ancients would descend into the rock-hollow by way of two broad, hewn steps. Inside the cavity whole vessels were found piled one atop the other and other vessels were broken by those that had been placed upon them. Among the finds that were recovered: a cultic vessel that was used for burning incense, a sculpted face of a woman that was part of a cultic cup used in dedicating a libation to a god, goblets and bowls with high bases and tableware that was intended for eating and drinking. Other vessels that were found had been brought from Mycenae in Greece, including a storage vessel for precious oils – evidence of the ancient trade relations that existed with Greece.

According to archaeologists Uzi Ad and Dr. Edwin van den Brink, the excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, this is an extremely rare discovery. Until now no such pits as these have been found from 3,500 years ago. It is also extraordinary to find scores of vessels that are in such a good state of preservation. In most excavations fragments of pottery vessels are found, whereas here the vessels were removed from the rock-hollow intact. Each object was removed with the greatest of care, was drawn and documented and revealed beneath it a wealth of other finds. The vessels are numbered and their precise location in the heap is recorded for future research. According to the archaeologists, it is obvious that considerable time and thought were invested in the placement of the vessels in the rock-hollow, as evidence by the different kinds of vessels that were buried separately.

Archaeologists van den Brink and Ad have various theories regarding the purpose of the rock-hollow. “In this period, before the Bible, the children of Israel were still in Egypt or the desert, and it would appear that the vessels were used in a pagan cult that worshipped idols. During this period it was customary that each city had a temple of its own where special cultic vessels were used”.

At the end of the Late Bronze Age (the Canaanite period) the region was vanquished, including Tel Qashish, which was destroyed by a fierce conflagration, along with nearby Tel Yoqneʽam.  Therefore, one of the theories is that the vessels were buried in order to protect them from the impending destruction.

Another possibility is that the cultic vessels that were employed in the rituals practiced in the temple were buried after they were no longer used. Since these artifacts were part of the ritual ceremonies a special place was allocated for them and unlike other vessels they were not discarded in the garbage.

The Israel Antiquities Authority plans on presenting these special artifacts to the public this coming year, in an exhibition within the framework of the twentieth anniversary of its establishment. Notification about the opening of the exhibition will be announced separately.

(Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority)
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June 2, 2010

AFTER 12 YEARS, THE NATIONAL PLANNING AND BUILDING COUNCIL ADOPTS THE TOURISM MINISTRY’S

NATIONAL OUTLINE PLAN FOR HOTELS

The National Tourism Outline Plan (NOP 12), developed 12 years ago by the Tourism Ministry, was adopted yesterday (1 June) by the National Planning and Building Council and will be submitted for cabinet approval shortly.

The plan, which outlines policy development in the tourism industry with emphasis on hotel use, is based on several principles in order to ensure the preservation of land reserves for tourism, attractions and hotels in the coming years, while preserving the natural environment and landscape, culture, heritage, history and historical values alongside recreation and leisure values.

The program principles include: determining a mechanism to protect land designated for tourism, in particular those areas with large numbers of visitors; directing the main tourist development to the key tourist cities; determining directives for various tourism complexes (urban, beach, rural); allowing the construction of special hotel accommodation at the Dead Sea and Eilat; determining a minimum number of hotel rooms in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv; determining directives to ensure priority for locations for hotel use; insistence on maintaining appropriate physical standards for hospitality etc in hotels.

The preparation of the plan comes against a background of attempts, some successful, by municipalities to reduce the area designated for tourism and hotels in national plans and building rights in approved plans, and turning them into residential areas or adding non-tourism uses to areas designated for tourism.

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov: “Today we are lagging significantly behind in the construction of hotels in relation to the Tourism Ministry’s target for incoming tourism in the coming years. This shortage will prevent the arrival of tourists to Israel because of the lack of supply, will adversely affect growth in the economy and employment in the various tourism industries and cause significant economic damage in relation to the economy’s potential. The Tourism Ministry’s plan will send a new message to entrepreneurs from Israel and overseas, primarily that Israel is an attractive destination for investment in the hotel industry.”

The Tourism Ministry has long warned about the expected shortfall of thousands of hotel bedrooms in Israel. In this situation, the expected damage to the tourism industry and the entire economy in revenue loss is estimated at tens of millions of dollars a year. According to the “optimistic” forecast of the Ministry of Tourism, the shortage will be felt from 2015, with an estimated shortage of about 19,000 rooms, in accordance with the anticipated arrival of five million tourists a year.

(Courtesy of the Ministry of Tourism)