In its ongoing effort to boost culture and tourism between UAE and Israel, the first ever virtual UAE-Israel tourism forum was hosted by the officials from Israel’s Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday.

“Israel is preparing to welcome tourists from the UAE and will be adhering to the advice of health experts to ensure it remains a safe destination in terms of COVID-19 exposure,” said the country’s tourism minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen.

Israel’s Tourism Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen addressing a virtual press conference

The online event highlighted Israel’s position as an important historical and cultural destination. It focussed on the two urban gems of Israel – Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, featured its sandy beaches, a sprawling metropolis and breathtaking natural beauty. Jerusalem’s unique sites, holy to Christianity, Judaism and Islam, are also on the list of the country’s must-see locations. With great weather virtually all year round, tourists can enjoy the great outdoors, take in colourful markets, cutting-edge culture and entertainment and an exciting culinary scene. The forum witnessed an attendance of over 300 trade partners from the UAE and 100 partners from Israel.

The UAE and Israel signed a mutual visa waiver agreement following the normalization of ties between the two countries, enabling travellers to obtain visas on arrival.

Flydubai has already started to operate flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, with 14 flights a week. The key aim of the forum was to build the foundation for a long-term tourism relationship between Israel and the UAE.