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| Israel tour guides breathe again as visitors return |
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By Andrea Samuels ISRAEL is where tourists flock for all sorts of reasons. Not only do people come from far and wide to relax on its sun-drenched beaches, many also come to marvel at the ancient holy sites and to celebrate important events, such as weddings and barmitzvahs.
Accordingly, tourism has always played a significant role in Israel. In 2019, 4.5 million tourists visited the country the largest number ever. That all changed overnight when Israel closed its doors to tourists as the Covid-19 pandemic hit, leaving many who rely on tourism to put food on the table struggling. Some had no option than to pursue alternative careers as the pandemic took hold, cruelly stripping them of their livelihoods, while others, who managed to ride out the storm are now picking up the pieces and carrying on where they left off. Tour guide Jeremy Lange and event planner Karen Tsafrir, who made aliya decades ago from London, are two such people. Jeremy gave up a long, successful career in hi-tech in 2017 in order, to do something I love, he said. To read more on this story, subscribe to our new e-edition. Go to E-edition.jewishtelegraph.com.
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