Israel welcomes new Tourism Minister Asaf Zamir
THE Israel Ministry of Tourism Philippine office announced that Asaf Zamir is the country’s new Minister of Tourism. The agency held a ministerial exchange ceremony over the last week of May to bid farewell to outgoing Tourism Minister Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin and welcome his successor.
Minister Yariv Levin was appointed Tourism Minister in 2015 and has made significant changes to the tourism landscape in Israel, which has yielded record breaking results. During his tenure Levin oversaw a considerable increase to the inbound tourism industry thanks to his leadership’s innovative marketing and promotional campaigns, incentives to increase air connectivity from the world to Israel and by increasing overall marketing budgets. His most prominent achievement is bringing the number of international tourists to arrive in Israel from 3.1 million visitors in 2015 to 4.9 million in 2019, marking a 58percent growth.
Addressing the gathering, the outgoing minister said, “I say goodbye to the Ministry of Tourism today feeling great pain. Together we have made unprecedented breakthroughs through unimaginable investments, establishments of hotels, development of the digital field, and of course, the tremendous revolution we have made in the field of marketing that has brought Israel to a central place with unprecedented occupancy in hotels and hostels. I believe that the tourism industry is a sector with huge potential. there is no better way to understand a destination than through your own eyes, while experiencing the special and historical sites of Israel.”
Meanwhile, Minister Zamir acknowledged he is coming to the post at a difficult time for the tourism industry all over the world.
“I dreamed of being the Minister of Tourism. I will come to work to serve you and to get this industry back on track. In spite of everything, I imagined and dreamed of, I am entering this industry in different times.We need to rebuild the tourism industry, open the hotels as quickly as possible, the tourist attractions, and all the industries that supports tourism — restaurants, cafes and bars as quickly as possible. Encourage domestic tourism, open the sky and minimize damage so we can return to growth of the tourism industry. When we conclude this important mission, we will fulfill tremendous potential of this country.We have the ability to grow out of the crisis.” Minister Zamir said at the ceremony.
Minister Zamir concluded his address by thanking his predecessor and encouraging employees in the tourism industry. “I would like to thank the outgoing Minister and all the office workers, with some of whom we have already met. There is an atmosphere in the office of genuine recruitment for the cause, genuine joy and I believe that there is no other way to overcome these times. Tourism is essential for the reconstruction and ignition of the Israeli economy.”