Israeli tour guides permitted to return to Bethlehem

According to an agreement between the Israel Ministry of Tourism and tourism officials in the Palestinian Authority, Israeli tour guides and tour operators have been permitted to return to Bethlehem for the first time in nearly a decade. Prior to this agreement, Israeli guides were not allowed to work in the West Bank but were replaced by Palestinian guides when tours crossed into the West Bank from Israel.

Source: Travel Weekly; find article here>>.

Israel: Netanyahu stops VAT on tourism

To the dissatisfaction of the Treasury, Prime Minister Netanyahu cancelled the recommendation for the imposition of a 16.5 percent VAT on the purchase of foreign tourist services in Israel. The heads of the tourism industry said that the Prime Minister has made the correct decision at a time when the number of foreign tourists coming to Israel was falling.

Source: eTurboNews; find article here>>.

"European Commission proposes to open aviation negotiations with Israel"

As stated by the EU Press Room, "Today, the European Commission proposed to open negotiations with Israel on a comprehensive aviation agreement. As part of the process of creating a Common Aviation Area with its Eastern and Southern neighbours by 2010, the Commission's aim is to establish an open aviation area between the EU and Israel, to lift market restrictions and to achieve a high level of regulatory convergence."

This Press Release is available in full text.

"Your Taxes: Grants available for tourism promoters"

As reported by Leon Harris, at the Jerusalem Post, "The Tourism Ministry has just published the procedures for obtaining grants from the Inbound Tourism Organizers Fund. As its name suggests, this fund aims to support and expand inbound tourism into Israel in order to increase state revenues by providing ground arrangements in Israel for tourists from abroad.
The fund offers grants of up to 50 percent of the actual outlays incurred on recognized marketing activities of inbound tourism organizers in the period from April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008. The organizers are the commercial link in the chain who put together and market tourism packages in Israel for foreign tourists. The organizers must be Israeli companies whose principal activity is supplying travel agency services (as defined in the Travel Services Law 1976), which include services to foreign tourists."

This article is available in full text.