Looking for a place to stay after touring Judea and Samaria? You might have a lot more options soon. The government approved a new plan Sunday worth 27 million shekels designed to significantly increase the number of hotels in the region, hoping to transform it from a day-trip destination into a place where people actually stay overnight.
Behind the decision is a problem that’s plagued the area for years: despite the tourist sites, heritage locations, and landscapes, the number of hotels and guest rooms remains relatively low. One of the main reasons is a shortage of available zoning and land designated for hotels, making it difficult for developers to advance new projects.
To change that, the Tourism Ministry will advance a comprehensive plan that removes planning obstacles, prepares land reserves for hotel construction, and encourages developers through cash grants. Under the plan, 7 million shekels will be invested in advancing building plans and creating new planning inventory, while another 20 million shekels will be allocated as grants for construction, conversion, and expansion of hotels and lodging facilities. The grants can reach up to 28% of the approved investment in a project—a rate designed to make the investment more worthwhile for developers and encourage new hotel construction.
Tourism Minister Haim Katz said the plan’s goal is to realize the tourism potential of Judea and Samaria. According to him, for the first time a comprehensive initiative is being advanced that combines planning, infrastructure development, creation of land inventory for hotels, and economic incentives for developers, aimed at increasing the supply of guest rooms and strengthening the local economy.
The Tourism Ministry notes that the gaps in investment in the sector are particularly significant. Over the past decade, only about 115 million shekels were invested in tourism infrastructure development in Judea and Samaria, compared to more than 2 billion shekels in the rest of the country.
The goal isn’t just to build more hotels, but also to extend how long visitors stay in the area. Today many come for a few hours of touring and return home the same day. The ministry hopes that increasing the supply of lodging will encourage visitors to stay for a night or a weekend, which would also lead to increased activity at restaurants, attractions, local businesses, and tourist sites.
The plan approved today joins another initiative approved earlier this year, under which the government allocated 50 million shekels for developing public tourism infrastructure in Judea and Samaria. It’s part of a broader effort to transform the region into a more developed tourism destination for both domestic and incoming tourism.