The Israeli Ministry of Tourism will provide a budget of approximately 160 ILS million to local authorities and public bodies for the development of public infrastructure for the use and well-being of the Israeli tourist public and those coming from abroad.

The budget, given against the backdrop of the “Iron Swords” war, is intended to improve tourism infrastructure throughout the country. 70% of the budget is intended for the “core cities” of tourism: Jerusalem, Acre, Nazareth, Eilat, Mitzpe Ramon and the coast (with the exception of the stretch of coast between Herzliya and Bat Yam).

The ministry established a number of indicators for ranking the projects that will receive funding, as part of the invitation distributed to local authorities. Among the criteria that will be examined: preparation and response to tourist load and the establishment of infrastructures that improve transportation accessibility to tourist sites, economic development that expresses the interest of several authorities, accessibility for people with disabilities, development of overnight products and infrastructure supporting hotels.

Another indicator that will be examined is whether the project proposed to the Ministry of Tourism is part of a geographical regional concept that expresses a unique idea, such as Judea and Samaria, which has historical, archaeological and cultural touristic values, and the potential inherent in them has not yet been reached.

The Ministry of Tourism says that they will give special emphasis to the diversity of the tourist product, innovation and sustainability in the selection of the projects. It was also decided that the minimum participation rate required from the authority will be determined according to its financial strength. That is, the more established the authority, the less the office funding will be. Alongside this, in projects that involve an entrance fee, the participation rate of the office will be lower than those that are open to the public for free.

Minister of Tourism, Haim Katz: “We continue to develop infrastructures that will improve the experience of visiting tourist centers throughout the country. We will prioritize projects that will bring value and a significant contribution to large areas and those that will be carried out quickly and efficiently. Our guiding principle is development in places with touristic values based on the culture, religion and history of Land of Israel”.