TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th September, 2021) The Israeli Tourism Ministry hopes to open the borders for group visitors from Russia with valid COVID-19 tests next month, Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov said in an interview with Sputnik.
"I hope that in October we will be able to open Israel for group tourism from Russia. Accordingly, they (travelers) will have to do PCR and serology tests for antibodies, because a person, a tourist who has been ill, who has antibodies, puts himself and others at lesser risk. We would like tourists to come and enjoy themselves, and not think whether they can infect someone here and get sick themselves," Razvozov said.
In the coming days, Israel will begin receiving and sending groups of coronavirus-recovered or vaccinated tourists to countries with FDA (food and Drug Administration) and EMA (European Medicines Agency) approved vaccines in their portfolios, he went on. Tourism from Russia will be decided at this stage.
Given that the vaccines authorized in Russia have not been approved by Western authorities, Razvozov believes the issue for Russian tourists will be solved through serology tests aimed at identifying antibodies.
"Therefore, it does not matter whether a person has been ill or received some kind of vaccine, the main thing is that they have antibodies that protect them and others," the minister explained, adding that he discussed the matter with Russian tourism colleagues during his visit to Moscow last week, along with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.
Certification of the Russian-made vaccine Sputnik V in Israel is under the jurisdiction of the country's Health Ministry, he said, adding that Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko is expected to visit Israel next month.
Israel's tourism sector has been hit hard by the coronavirus and therefore is particularly interested in resumption of travel with Russia, which ranked third in terms of inbound tourism after the US and France before the pandemic struck, according to Razvozov.
"I hope that soon we will open our borders to tourists from Russia. We missed you," the minister concluded.
Israel closed its borders to foreigners in March of last year as the COVID-19 epidemic emerged as a global threat.
