Attention please: Holy Land of Israel is now closer to Kerala

According to him, most of the first-time travellers would still want to visit Egypt and Jordan too, which is part of Riya Travels’ Holy Land tour programme.

KOCHI: The Holy Land tourism, one of the biggest overseas pilgrim tour packages operated from the state, got a big boost after a direct twice-a-week flight between Kochi and Tel Aviv was launched last week. It will also come in handy for the Jews in Israel, who frequent Kochi to relive their old connect with the city. Israeli airlines Air Arkia, which flies every Tuesday and Saturday, will reduce the travel time to Jerusalem by about 11 hours from Cairo and about four to four-and-half hours from Amman in Jordan, the most preferred route by travellers till now from Kerala after the stopover in the Gulf.

“A-321, which can accommodate 200 people, was fully occupied when it landed in Kochi from Tel Aviv on Saturday,” said an airport official. “Malayalees chose the inaugural flight for their return journey to Kerala after their visit to the Holy Land. In fact, most tickets in the next couple of flights from Kochi to Tel Aviv are also sold off,” said the officer.

George John, sales executive of Riya Travel, a leading Holy Land tour operator, however, said the direct flight would benefit only those who would want to travel to Jerusalem and nearby pilgrim centres. 
This will reduce the operator’s tour programme from 10 days to seven, he added. “Those who want exclusive Holy Land tour, and the Jews, who prefer direct flight to Kochi and return, will be benefitted by the direct flight,” John said.

According to him, most of the first-time travellers would still want to visit Egypt and Jordan too, which is part of Riya Travels’ Holy Land tour programme. “Also, the ticket prices are expensive by Rs 10,000-12,000,” John said. The increased connectivity from India to Israel comes close on the heels of a 21 per cent growth in Indian tourist arrivals of 70,800 to that country last year from 58,700 in 2017. 

Of this, a sizeable number is from Kerala. India is now one of the biggest source markets for Israel, he said. The new direct flight will take only six hours to reach Tel Aviv. A Kochi airport official said it will be helpful to hundreds of thousands of pilgrims as they will save 20 hours to various destinations in Israel.
John said bus journey from Amman to Jerusalem will be only about four hours while it will be 14 hours from Cairo to Jerusalem.

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