The Israeli tourist industry hoped that the Abraham accords of 2020, which officially normalised Israel’s relations with Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, would bring an influx of holiday-making Arabs. It hasn’t happened
Similar jamborees on Sinai’s southern coast, an easy drive from Israel’s border crossing at Taba, have become increasingly popular with Israelis, partly because they are cheaper than in Israel. Almost 700,000 Israelis visited southern Sinai last year. Tourists from Cairo and Tel Aviv rub along happily at the diving centres and beach resorts on the Red Sea. Some local Egyptian businesses advertise their wares in Hebrew and take payment in Israeli shekels.
Few Arabs across the wider region seem interested in beachside bonhomie. The Israeli tourist industry hoped that the Abraham accords of 2020, which officially normalised Israel’s relations with Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates , would cause an influx of holiday-making Arabs keen to see the Holy Land. It hasn’t happened.
One reason is Arabs’ continuing anger about the Palestinians. Most Egyptians abhor the treaty that made peace with Israel in 1979. Polls say the share of Emiratis who view the Abraham accords favourably dropped from 47% when they were signed to 25% at last count. Still, the accords have encouraged Israelis to head for the Gulf. Last year 150,000 of them visited the. A few chanced a first-time visit to Bahrain. But Israeli tourism to Egypt beyond Sinai has still not taken off. Last year a mere 45,000 Israelis flew directly to Cairo., which provided most Arab visitors, numbered just 26,400, compared with 2.7m from elsewhere in the world; 5,100 were Egyptian and 1,600 Emiratis. Bahrainis, says Israel’s tourism ministry, were “too few to count”.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline"Wanderers in the desert"
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