Israel is set to publish a call for proposals from local authorities and public bodies for grant to establish projects that will contribute to the promotion of tourism in the state.
“Our guiding compass is investing in areas with added value, with an emphasis on proposals that the authorities know how to implement efficiently,” said Israel Minister of Tourism Haim Katz in a statement.
“We will ensure full use of the budget – whoever does not know how to use the money will lose it. We will prioritize places that are open free to the public, and we will develop heritage tourism in the land of Israel, after a long time without any investment.”
New parameters have been added to rank the projects.
Preference will be given to projects that are part of a geographical region seen as expressing a unique idea, such as Judea and Samaria, regions which embody historical, archaeological and cultural tourism values, where that potential has yet to be fulfilled.
In addition, preference will be given to projects to prepare for large numbers of tourists; infrastructure that improves transport access to tourist sites; economic development presented through a regional cluster that includes a shared interest with several authorities; making sites accessible to people with disabilities; developing nighttime tourism products and infrastructure that supports hotels.
Special emphasis will be given to diversity, innovation and sustainability in tourism products, the ministry said.
For the first time, a project will be shelved that has not started for reasons related to the local authority (matching funding for example) and the funds will be transferred to another project.
Requests for projects will be rejected from an authority that already has approved projects which have not yet been implemented; which have not moved forward in the last year; where payments have not been made to contractors, suppliers etc.
For projects which charge an entrance fee, the ministry’s contribution will be lower than those which are free to the public.
The more established the authority is, the less the ministry’s contribution will be.
“This year, we have made changes in the criteria for prioritizing projects, so that they will match the characteristics of today’s tourism,” added Israel Ministry of Tourism Director-General Dani Shahar.
Criteria for rating the projects include the contribution to increasing incoming tourism and influencing domestic tourism; the authority or body’s ability for maintenance of the project; and the proximity of the project to a hotel and its adaptation to government and ministry policy.
