The Israeli tourism industry was outraged Sunday over a government decision to extend mandatory quarantine for vaccinated Israelis who return from abroad and update the list of foreign destinations categorized "red" due to high COVID numbers every 24 hours.
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The Health Ministry decision could see the list of red countries change daily, which would make it hard for Israelis who want to travel abroad. Should their destination of choice be designated red while they are there, Israelis will be required to self-quarantine for seven full days upon returning to Israel.
The Prime Minister's Office said Sunday that "The list of red countries will be evaluated daily and updated frequently. In the next few days, additional countries will be added to the list according to the parameters of the Health Ministry."
In response to the decision, tourism workers planned to hold a demonstration on Monday. A march was slated to leave from Gate 32 of Ben-Gurion International Airport at 11 a.m. Tourism workers are demanding compensation for the decision that they argue will cause financial hardship for those who make their living in the sector.
Tali Noy, VP of Sales and Marketing at the ISSTA travel agency, discussed the government's decision and the increased rate of vaccination in Europe, saying, "We hope that the new restrictions, if there are any, will be for a short time. It looks like Europe is stepping up the boosters, so the current wave [of COVID] on the continent will end quickly.
"In the meantime, we aren't seeing that Israelis are rushing to cancel their travel plans and want to enjoy their vacations as long as possible. Some of that is because flights are very inexpensive," Noy said.
Nir Mazor, VP of marketing at Aviation Links, said, "The government's intention of declaring more destinations 'red' every 24 hours is an intentional attempt to sabotage flight reservations and make them almost impossible. Needless to say, a decision like this hurts the national vaccination campaign effort, which the government and the Health Ministry are supposed to be trying to lead."
According to Shirley Cohen Orkaby, VP of Marketing and Sales at Eshet Tours, the government's new policy "effectively cancels the differentiation between the vaccinated and unvaccinated, thereby reducing any incentive for Israelis to get vaccinated. This is a disproportionate decision, one that is out of line with other countries."
Ziv Rosen, CEO of Gulliver Group, said Israel "is the only country in the world acting this way and it's clear there's no reason for it, if we really understand that we need to learn to live with COVID. We've already seen that it's possible to fly safely, with COVID testing and clear instructions."
Meanwhile, professional tour guides were up in arms over Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli's remark Sunday that it would be "legitimate" to shut down the tourism sector if worker were compensated, and Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman saying that tourism workers should "find new professions."
"The mask has fallen. This government is out of touch and heartless, and isn't noticing that tens of thousands of citizens have been left without any income. A government that doesn't understand that it caused this. The ones who should 'change profession' are the failing transportation minister, whose failure citizens feel every day as they sit in traffic, and the finance minister who leaves Israelis to their bitter fates. We are law-abiding citizens who love the country and serve as its ambassadors. As the entire economy opens up, we're being left behind," industry workers said.
Oded Marcus, one of the leaders of the fight to reopen air travel, said, "The incoming tourism industry employs over 200,000 people. The tourism and finance ministers closed down our jobs on July 1, 2021, and aren't compensating us fairly! We'll fight to survive. It's incredible – Lieberman and Bennett want to shut down a sector that contributes so much to Israel. The only one who should change professions is Lieberman."
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