Tel Aviv-Yafo extended a visually exciting invitation to potential visitors from the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, shortly after the State of Israel and the UAE announced an agreement for the normalization of relations between the countries.
Six of the UAE’s most distinctive and impressive landmarks were sculpted from sand at Tel Aviv’s Geula Beach by talented sand sculptor Tzvi Halevi, alongside the greeting “Welcome” in Arabic, Hebrew and English. Landmarks included the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
As Israel and the UAE welcome a new era in regional relations, Tel Aviv-Yafo is eager to attract and welcome new visitors to the city from the Persian Gulf state. An estimated flight time of only three hours between the countries ensures that both destinations are mutually attractive for potential tourists and businesspeople alike.
Tel Aviv-Yafo will also post a short video in the coming days, featuring the sand sculptures, stunning coastline and a multilingual invitation to visit the city. Tel Aviv-Yafo hopes that the video will reach millions of Emirati households and others worldwide wishing to experience everything that the coastal city offers to visitors.
Sharon Landes-Fischer, Acting CEO of Tel Aviv Global & Tourism said: “Tel Aviv-Yafo is delighted to extend a citywide invitation to visitors from the United Arab Emirates. Whether traveling for work or pleasure, seeking to do business in the Start-Up City or experience the Non-Stop City, the door to Tel Aviv-Yafo is wide open to you. As we enter a new era of regional relations, we are confident that this new and emerging market will benefit from all that Tel Aviv-Yafo has to offer.”
Israel welcomed 4.55 million visitors in 2019, representing an all-time record in incoming tourism. Tel Aviv hotels recorded almost 3.8 million overnight stays, boasting an average hotel occupancy rate of 76%.
Despite the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on global tourism, Tel Aviv-Yafo is certain that new and emerging tourism markets including the UAE will expedite its recovery.