TravTalk India Online Magazine
While it is still uncertain when air connections between India and Israel will resume or whPAGE 22 – 1 ether there will be any change in the visa regime, Israel has continued to engage the travel trade here. Sammy Yahia, Director, Israel Ministry of Tourism – India and Philippines, shares more details.
Hazel Jain
Q Please share an on-ground update from Israel in terms of safety measures taken by hotels, attractions and other touristic places. Israel’s ministries of tourism and health, with support of the local municipal corporations and governing bodies, have created SOPs to ensure measures have been taken to reopen tourism. The ministries have outlined the ‘Purple Standard’ for operating hotels in the country. Restaurants and bars have been offered the opportunity to expand their seating area to public spaces to be able to comply with physical distancing rules.
Q How are you engaging the trade right now?
The Israel Government Tourist Office India (IGTO India) has been working with agents and operators across segments during the lockdown. We have conducted virtual destination training sessions for them as well as their team members who are involved with selling the destination.
IGTO India has also taken care to keep our partners in the trade, corporates, and travellers aware of the developments in Israel, especially with regards to the new regulations implemented by the ministries of health and tourism that are in line with WHO guidelines. We want to ensure that all our partners feel confident in Israel and this is being done through virtual meetings and presentations, press releases and newsletters, as well as connecting our partners in India with their counterparts in Israel.
The IGTO India team has also been working on an advanced programme to create an ‘Israel Specialist’ in select cities so agents have access to the destination.
Q Are you expecting any change in the visa regime for Indian nationals?
At the moment, Israel limits entry to Israeli passport holders, residence visa holders, and passengers with specific entry approval, and all arrivals must enter 14-day quarantine. Therefore, it is highly recommended to contact the embassy prior to flying to inquire if entry will be permitted. While we are keen to see Indian travellers visit Israel, it is our responsibility to ensure that tourists are safe while travelling to and from our destination.
The ‘Purple Standard’ for hotels
Israel’s ministries of tourism and health have outlined the ‘Purple Standard’ for operating hotels in the country. For hotels to be in compliance with new procedures, they must maintain several benchmarks outlined by Ministry of Health that will deem the property safe for travellers. These include wearing face mask in public spaces, maintaining a minimum distance of six feet, and frequent hand washing, cleaning and disinfecting protocols for all public spaces and guest rooms, guidelines for cleaning the hotel water systems (such as pools), and a dedicated staff member to oversee all health procedures. Hotels are also required to conduct temperature checks for all staff, guests and visitors, installation of plexiglass partitions at reception desks, as well as restrictions to the number of guests in an elevator at a time.
