Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., December 18, 2008 Kislev 21, 5769 | | Israel Time: 01:25 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

One month ahead of 'Russian tourist season,' crash expected to hit Eilat hard By Zohar Blumenkrantz Yesterday's tragic traffic accident near the resort city of Eilat occurred only one month from the start of the winter holiday season and is expected to affect the flow of tourists from Russia, who have only recently begun to discover the southern city's charms. The blow to tourism is feared to be even greater because many of the bus's passengers were travel agents who were on their way to tour the city. They were then expected to help open Eilat up to the Russian market, after the recent dropping of visa requirements for Russian nationals entering Israel. Advertisement The group traveling on the bus had arrived on a direct charter flight of Russia Airlines from St. Petersburg to the Ovda International Airport outside Eilat, one of five such flights a week run by it and two other lines, Globus and Vim Air. "The flow of tourists on direct flights from Russia to Eilat began only this year and we were happy that the flights were pretty full," Dave Laufer, the director general of Laufer Group International, which provides the charter flights with ground services, told Haaretz yesterday. " The flight yesterday was just another regular flight. It departed for St. Petersburg with a another group of Russian tourists a few hours after the accident." In November, 8,148 Russian tourists arrived in the Red Sea port on 58 direct flights, more than twice as many tourists as in the corresponding month in 2007. "A new wave of tourists began arriving in Eilat in October and will continue until March 2009," according to an Israel Airport Authority report published in November. "The Eilat and Ovda airports - part of the array of tourist destinations on offer to European tourists on direct flights - registered 225 arrivals of flights in November, constituting a rise of 44.2 percent in air traffic." While the bulk of foreign tourists who visited Eilat in November came from Russia, the desert city also received 3,128 tourists from France, 1,266 tourists from the U.K., 1,018 Poles, 1,235 Finns and 295 Germans. Since the beginning of 2008, a total of 91,462 passengers, on 1,484 international flights, have passed through the Eilat and Ovda airports, some 25 percent more than last year. "This event will no doubt have a negative effect," Shabtai Shay, director general of the Eilat hotel association, said. "The problem is that Israel is treated differently than other countries, and judged more harshly. This is not a terror attack but a traffic accident that could have happened in any other country, like Egypt, Spain or India. I hope it's kept in proportion." Shay said that the number of tourists from Russia had already been expected to drop, even before the traffic accident, because of the global financial crisis, which has struck Russia considerably hard. Ami Etgar, director general of the Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association, told Haaretz that his organization would assist the victims and their families abroad as much as possible. The Ministry of Tourism has also opened an emergency room in Jerusalem and is receiving calls at 972-(0)2-666-4358. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Picking up the pieces U.S. Jews ponder 'catastrophic' effects of Bernard Madoff affair. Adolf Hitler, toddler Three-year-old Adolf Hitler finally gets his name on his birthday cake.

Read & React Jurists tell Barak: Don't shell Gaza population centers Responses: 204 Olmert: Qassam attacks require a response, and there will be one Responses: 98 3-year-old Adolf Hitler finally gets his name on his birthday cake Responses: 96 Amira Hass: Hamas expects Israel to foil two-state solution Responses: 44 Barak: Iran could attack the U.S. with a nuclear bomb Responses: 44 More Headlines 01:18 Barak: Iran could attack U.S. with nuclear bomb 00:25 Olmert: Qassam attacks demand a response, there will be one 00:32 Mofaz: Dispute between bus drivers definitely caused fatal Eilat crash 17:38 Hamas leader: No truce unless Israel eases Gaza restrictions 01:20 Rumor of Bamba snack's link to spate of infant deaths brings down Osem stock 01:17 Imams, rabbis pledge joint stance against terror 23:46 Bush shoe-throwing incident spawns viral games on the Web 14:06 3-year-old Adolf Hitler finally gets his name on his birthday cake 13:55 Russia to supply Lebanon with 10 MiG-29 fighter jets 04:28 Jurists tell Barak: Don't shell Gaza population centers 19:17 EU Parliament lobbies for removal of Iranian group from terror list 13:19 Livni seeks 'Big Brother' voter turnout in Kadima primary 15:52 Relatives of Russian crash victims arrive in Israel 17:54 Austrian president in W. Bank: Settlement construction must stop 13:32 Israel's Big Brother: Plenty of ethnic tension, but no sex 15:58 Journalist Uri Orbach joins new right-wing party 10:41 Italian MP says Vatican didn't do enough to help Jews in WWII Previous Editions Select Day 17 dec 16 dec 15 dec 14 dec 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec 09 dec 08 dec 07 dec 05 dec 04 dec

Special Offers Advertisement Summer in Israel Israeli style - Tzofim Chetz V'Keshet 2009 Summer Camp in Israel The best place for your children this summer Living in Israel Studying in English Click & Meet our students from all around the world Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Car rental in Israel Shlomo Sixt Receive $15.00 from our low rates. Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Jewish Singles Personal Ads Find the love of your life on JDate.com Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved