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Feb. 17, 2021
At the start of 2020, Israel’s 6,000 tour guides were looking forward to a record five million tourist arrivals. Hundreds of thousands would be led through archeological sites, given lectures on the Bible and Zionism, and directed to the best restaurants and bars. Guides who specialize in domestic tourism managed to survive the year by offering socially distant tours between lockdowns. But for the guides who work with incoming tourists the year has been a disaster. Many have concluded that tourism won’t be back anytime soon and are starting to look for other work.
“We have no idea how many tour guides are working today or how many have been lost to other professions,” said Yoni Shapira, chairman of Moreshet Derech, the Israel Incoming Tourist Guide Association. “We are losing high-quality people. I know that many of them have started to work in virtual tourism, but that’s not real tourism.”
CoronavirusIsrael
By Yoni Weiss
YERUSHALAYIM -
Shas MK Rabbi Yaakov Margi. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
The Economic Affairs Committee, chaired by MK Rabbi Yaakov Margi (Shas), approved on Monday the Tourism Services Regulations that pertain to tour guides. The regulations were submitted by the Tourism Ministry in order to assist tour guides, who have suffered financially due to the corona pandemic.
Keren Goldman, head of the Tourism Ministry’s Vocational Tourism Training Division, explained that tour guides are currently obligated to renew their license every two years, at a cost of NIS 263, and take part in two training programs that cost NIS 80-200 each. According to the proposal, tour guides will not pay the fee in 2021 and their licenses will be extended automatically. In 2022 they will pay half the license renewal fee. Training courses for 2019-2020 will be completed in 2021.