In an effort to keep more Israelis from travelling abroad, which is one of the main reasons for the current coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called on Israelis last week to vacation locally and asked hotels to reduce their prices. But hotels did the exact opposite.

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Israel Hayom and the Gulliver tourism company compared hotel prices in 2021 to those of 2019, before the outbreak of the pandemic, and found that hotels have increased their prices significantly, in some cases by as much as 59%.  

For instance, a four-night vacation (breakfast included) at the Queen of Sheeba hotel in Eilat will cost a family with two children 10,671 shekels ($3,280). The exact same vacation two years prior would have cost the family NIS 7,920 ($2,400), 35% less. 

A three-night vacation at Isrotel Hotel at the Dead Sea (on the weekend, in August, breakfast included) will cost the same family NIS 7,915 ($2,400). Two years ago, that price would have been NIS 6,150 ($1,890), 29% less. 

The largest gaps were found in northern Israel. A four-night vacation (on the weekend, in August, breakfast included) at the Setai Hotel on the Sea of Galilee will cost a family with two children NIS 18,753 ($5,760). The exact same vacation, at the exact same time of the year, two years ago would have cost NIS 11,780 ($3,600), 59% less.  

In contrast, vacations abroad are much more affordable. A five-day vacation in Morocco throughout the summer will cost each person NIS 3,000 ($920), including direct flights. A three-day vacation at a hotel in Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus or Turkey will cost NIS 1,500 ($460) for each person. 

The Tourism Ministry said in a statement it was cooperating with hotels willing to provide visitors with a 15% discount, but not many hotels jumped at this opportunity. 

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The company said it will invest about $50 million at its plant near the Dead Sea, where it has exclusive rights in Israel to extract minerals. It anticipates the expansion will generate additional revenues of $110 million a year starting in 2021.

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The expansion will increase production capacity of TBBA (tetrabromobisphenol A), a bromine compound used primarily in the manufacturing of printed circuit boards for the electronics industry, by up to 25,000 metric tons annually, it said.

The new agreements in Asia follow a decrease in bromine production in China, said Israel Chemicals, the world's largest producer of bromine and bromine-based products.

The post Israel Chemicals to expand Dead Sea bromine plant on higher Asia demand appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Capsule hotels already exist in Japan and in Western Europe. Capsule hotels will allow new and larger audiences to explore affordable stays and tourism. One example is the Birthright delegations who come to Israel from all over the world.

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Each capsule will be designed for two people and include a storage closet, a 32-inch TV screen; a safe, a mini-bar, and electrical and USB sockets.

The cost per person will be 100 shekels ($28) per night, and 150 shekels ($42) for couples.

According to Hagai Adoram from Bercleys Real Estate Development, "The capsule hotel's location was chosen so as to allow the general public to access affordable multiple-stay vacationing, and a low-cost basic accommodations option for the numerous hikers and vacationers who do not require larger and more expensive rooms. It is part of the worldwide trend of low-cost tourism."

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