Despair in Eilat has not become more comfortable • Only nine hotels have opened so far • Residents hope that the green passport will "revive" the city • A journey in a desolate city with 40% unemployment
The hotel complex in Eilat.
"Once upon a time there was a bustling life here"
Photo:
Yehuda ben Itach
A year into the outbreak of the corona plague in Israel, the despair on the streets of Eilat is well felt, especially in the tourist area of the city.
Despite the partial opening of the hotels and the hot weather of the end of February - the promenade is almost completely empty of holidaymakers and so are the hotels.
More than a week has passed since the Israeli government lifted the restrictions of the third closure, in a city that has not yet returned to full routine.
Many of the residents did not return to work at all, mainly due to the fact that most of the hotels in the city and attractions have not yet opened.
The severe restrictions and harsh conditions for the opening of the tourist city imposed by the Ministry of Health make it difficult for everyone.
"It is impossible to rely on the purchasing power of the residents of Eilat who until today were mostly unemployed or in the IDF and sat at home," Sarah mourns, selling in a clothing store in one of the malls in the city. "They don't really have money and they do not want to spend on luxuries. Know what the future of the city will be.
We went back to all the winter collection we had and moved on to summer.
We expected that with the opening of trading we too
We will return to work, but the city is almost empty of vacationers and so are the shops, which are known to be the big buyers. "
Sarah's feelings about the clothes are well reflected in the data.
In January, the unemployment rate in the city was more than 40%, and it is assumed that in February there will be a recovery and a decrease in the unemployment rate, mainly due to the opening of street shops and brand stores.
But, there is not always someone to sell to.
In the big malls in the city there is almost no traffic and the franchisees and chain managers report that the box offices are empty.
The dining rooms are closed
Of the 50 hotels operating in the city, only nine were opened this week as part of the strict green label layout, which prohibits, for example, the opening of dining rooms.
To these must also be added five hotels that were open throughout the period for the absorption of doctors, technicians, Home Front Command personnel and people who provided vital service to the city.
According to the plan, if the requirements of the Ministry of Health are not tightened, the ban on opening dining rooms will be lifted on March 7, and thus 16 more hotels are expected to open.
More than a dozen hotels are expected to remain closed even after the next round of relief and the opening date has not yet been set.
Itamar Nadjar has been sitting at home for a year.
Before the Corona, marketing luxury cruises on yachts to vacationers who came to town.
"I'm pretty desperate, just the fact that I've an Eilat who believes in the city still makes me stay here. Unfortunately those who decide what's really going to happen in the city are government members, but it really doesn't seem to keep them busy.
Nadjar says that in the summer the city worked great for months and then again they decided to close everything.
"We are disabled and just waiting for someone to think of us. We do not really see the light on the horizon. It is difficult to develop hope that we will return to routine when we do not see you."
"Defining us as a green island"
Jasmine Oren, a vital teacher, is still hopeful that the situation will improve.
"We were quite used to closures and restrictions, at first we were really confused, today we are used to it, we are a year into the crisis and we have learned to be flexible. We must hope for the best."
Ayelet Mualem from Rishon Lezion is one of the few vacationers who were waiting for the hotels to open in Eilat and immediately after the third closure she arrived in the city with her family.
"We are amazed by the emptiness that the city still radiates. It is sad and discouraging to see an empty city. Where are all the holidaymakers? It looks like Zombieland. The city is really empty, we are almost alone in a hotel. That is not how a holiday town should look like."
Eli Lankri, deputy mayor of Eilat, shares that he has difficulty sleeping at night because of the situation.
This week he sent a letter to the Minister of Health in which he demanded that the standards be amended and that Eilat be declared a special tourist area.
"The decision of the Cabinet and the Ministry of Health not to operate Eilat as a green island endangers the city's continued operation and may lead to the city being closed this Passover."
