Israel to Relax Some Travel Restrictions in May, U.S. and Canada Still Excluded
Tel Aviv. Photo: Boris-B/Shutterstock.com.
Israel will reopen the country in May to some vaccinated foreign tourists, more than a year after closing its borders to most international visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Inbound tourism to Israel will resume May 23, 2021, initially for six countries: Cyprus, Greece, The U.K., Spain, Austria, and Germany. The pilot program’s phase 1 will begin with groups at first as they will be easier to monitor. Individual travelers are expected to be allowed in at a later stage.
“After opening the economy, it is time to allow tourism in a careful and calculated manner,” Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said in a joint statement with the Tourism Ministry.
Check out 6 beautiful hotels opening this year in Israel
From the Sea of Galilee down to the Negev Desert, new hotels are ready and waiting for tourists.
Dawn breaks at the Sofia Sea of Galilee Hotel, Tiberias. Photo courtesy of Sofia Sea of Galilee
The pandemic dealt a heavy blow to the hospitality industry in Israel as well as worldwide. Some hotels did not survive. Others were able to wait it out, slowly and carefully welcoming local guests starting in March 2021.
Several hotels in Israel that were under construction boldly finished the job and are now eagerly awaiting the return of foreign tourists when Israel reopens its borders to group travel on May 23rd.