Evangelist Showry Babu Kona receiving the ‘True friend of Israel and friend of Jewish people’ award from the Israel Tourism Ministry for completing 150 trips to Israel in 17 years.
Tour operators and Christian television channels operating in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are gearing up to resume Holy Land tours to Israel from the first week of September this year.
Israeli Ministry of Tourism’s marketing administration, in letters to its partners on Monday, said that following the events of October 7 last year, tourism of Israel was affected. Since that day, tours were suspended awaiting further directions from the Israeli Government.
It said the Ben-Gurion airport was fully operational and most flights had resumed. “Israel is safe for tourists. We have implemented safety and security measures to ensure a hassle-free experience for travellers in tourist areas,” it said.
Pini Shani, Deputy Director General, Head of Marketing Administration, Israel Ministry of Tourism, said: “Israel, with its rich history, vibrant culture and breathtaking landscapes, remains a top destination for travellers from all over the World. Key attractions in places such as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Galilee, Eilat and the Dead Sea, are operating as usual and ready to welcome tourists.”
Chairman of TV channel Aradhana, Paul Devapriyam Pulla, told The Hindu on Monday that they were planning to send the first batch of 45-50 tourists to holy places in Israel, Egypt and Jordan in the first week of September.
He said after the war broke out, the channel had cancelled four scheduled tour packages with 50 tourists each last year. The tour costs approximately ₹1.65 lakh for each person from Hyderabad to the Holy Land and back.
Mr. Paul Devapriyam said the ongoing war will not deter tourists from visiting the Holy Land as the tour does not cover Gaza or its nearby places. Aradhana TV has so far organised 69 trips, taking 3,000 tourists to the Holy Land.
Another big player in Holy Land tours and founder of the International Institute of Biblical Studies and evangelist Showry Babu Kona said he had visited Israel since March after the situation eased. “We will continue to take groups of tourists to sightseeing places in Israel, Jordan and Egypt,” he added.
Another evangelist S. Satya Suvartha Raju, who has made 50 trips so far to Israel accompanying tourist groups, said he was approached by a few organisers to get ready for the Holy Land tours again.
It may be mentioned here that usually its a seven-day to nine-day tour beginning from Hyderabad which takes tourists across Mount Nebo (Amman and Jordan), Nazareth, Cana, Sea of Galilee, Mt. Tabor, Haifa, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Tabo border, Red Sea, Sina and St. Catherine’s Monastery.
