On the up

There is a dramatic new silhouette on the Eilat skyline —and it points to a tourism renaissance

IT’S EILAT airport — but not as we know it. Not the tiny airstrip, so close you might be able to see it from your hotel room, nor the ex-military aerodrome, nearly 40 miles out of town where international arrivals currently touch down.

Before this winter season ends, both will be replaced by a gleaming new structure, the first civil airport the state of Israel has built from scratch. Ramon, named after Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon and his fighter-pilot son Assaf, will be a gorgeous, futuristic set of buildings inspired by the distinctive airports by Norman Foster.

“We thought of Stansted when designing Ramon,” explains Noam Zevulun, the project architect overseeing construction, as we walk around the site, which is close to Timna Park, a 15-minute drive from central Eilat.

The terminal is already looking world-class, with what must be the world’s most beautiful air-control tower now complete: “Ramon is the first airport where every structure was designed by the same architects,” says Zevulun’s boss, Amir Mann.

Ramon, which will be surrounded by desert plants and contain the full gamut of duty-free shops, replaces a proposed joint airport initiative between Israel and Jordan, dropped because of security concerns.

However, given the ease of access to Petra, visitors to the ruins may well be among the four million travellers a year eventually arriving at Ramon. Israel’s ministry of tourism believes there is huge potential from tourists who might normally have sought winter sun in Tunisia, Turkey or Egypt.

A new airport much closer to the resort should revitalise Eilat’s popularity with Brits who have been put off by the logistics. The only direct access for several years has been a single weekly flight from November to April via Monarch, which will divert from Ovda to Ramon when the new airport opens.

But the real draw for visitors will be the planned new attractions of the

resort, including two water parks and some boutique hotels.

“No new hotels have been built in 10 years and, when we made an application, we were told we already had a sufficient presence in Eilat,” says David Blum of Isrotel, the British-owned family firm whose founder, David Lewis, is credited with building Eilat up to international resort standards.

Isrotel operates the Royal Beach, one of the four sophisticated monoliths dominating the main promenade, while a clutch of less-conventional hotels dot the southern strip leading to the border at Taba. While new hotel plans will not be announced until it is clear how much land will be made available once the city airport closes, a new style of accommodation is already open near Taba — Colonia, a glamping resort incorporating eight luxury tents, some big enough for families, a restaurant and dive club.

Also new is Mosh Beach, named after Israeli singer Mosh Ben-Ari, which offers sun and sand with a relaxed lounge vibe and a lively bar. Families will enjoy an escape game, based on a “pirate” ship. A new high-level thrill ride, The Booster, is in place for those not quite ready for the extreme highs of Skydive Eilat, offering a view of four countries for those brave enough to look down after dropping from a plane.

New karaoke rooms are open at Herods — but for adults the greatest draw is the boutique shopping and fine dining options of the resort. Eilat’s hotels offer gastronomic treats from many countries — such as Italian at the Royal Beach’s La Cuccina, kosher Middle Eastern at Shipudai Ha’Bustan at the Dan Eilat and sushi on the beach.

The greatest delight for many visitors are evening strolls along the wide, well-kept promenade which links the biggest hotels with their beaches in the centre of town.

This is set to be expanded with a South Beach promenade, which will help complete the municipality’s dream of a continuous stretch all the way from Taba to Aqaba in the east. With great beaches, good diving, fine dining, the striking red rock landscapes and desert wildlife, the future is sunny for Eilat, as it prepares for the influx of international tourists it deserves.