The FINANCIAL — Georgian tourists have started preparing to visit Israel for Easter, most Georgian tour operators say. Easter is coming soon.
The FINANCIAL — Georgian tourists have started preparing to visit Israel for Easter, most Georgian tour operators say. Easter is coming soon. Thousands of pilgrims and tourists from all around the world visit Israel every year to celebrate the Easter and Passover holidays. Israel is an ancient country, considered the Holy Land. Tourists rush to take part in holy processions at this holy time of year. Groups travel to Golgotha to repeat Christ’s journey and to see all Twelve Stations of the Cross. Everyone wants to attend the ceremony of the Holy Fire which is said to miraculously alight inside the tomb, where the leader of the Church goes behind closed doors, and then brings it out to the waiting masses.
The FINANCIAL interviewed some of the leading tour operators in Georgia and revealed the Easter tours they offer to tourists.
“Travel Agency CG Tour offers tourists Easter tours in Israel from April 21-17. We invite people to Dan Panorama Jerusalem and Leonardo Basel Tel Aviv. 30-34 PAX – 1,081 USD, 35-39 PAX – 1,060 USD, 40-45 PAX – 1,038 USD. Child (2-12) with parents receives a 330 USD discount, 3rd PAX in room (adult) – 90 USD discount,” CG Tour noted.
“As it is Easter we mostly have pilgrim tours. Tours include sightseeing in holy places including Christ’s journey and the Twelve Stations of the Cross, a visit to Bethlehem, Nazareth, and different monasteries where entrance is allowed. We are offering our visitors a one week tour from 21-28 April and from 20-26,” said Nani Shengelia, Head of Ntour Head office.
“The cost of this tour starts from 1,491 USD. Demand for the Israeli tour is already quite high. Easter is about to arrive, so people have started thinking about spending their holidays in the holy land. We offer our clients high quality service and an unforgettable experience,” Shengelia said.
This year demand for Israeli tours has risen in comparison with last year, according to Ella Karapetyan, Director of BusinessTravelCom.
“Due to political instability in Egypt, most tourists preferred to visit Israel this year. As Easter is coming soon, groups of tourists are planning to visit the Holy Land. We have already served a group of tourists who will be visiting Israel over Easter,” Karapetyan said.
“We once had a case when newlyweds decided to spend their honeymoon in Israel and organized their wedding ceremony in one of Israel’s churches. They were very content with the service offered and came back to Georgia with great experiences and impressions of the country,” Karapetyan said.
Some of the people interviewed by The FINANCIAL say prices for tour packages are a little high for them. “Every Christian dreams of greeting Easter in the Holy Land and visiting Israel. I hope my dream will soon become true and that I will be able to visit Israel in the nearest future. The only problem I have with visiting Israel is the high prices of tour packages offered by tour operators. I tried to find out what the prices are for visiting Israel before or during the Easter period and unfortunately the prices were too high for me,” said Manana Abesadze, 37.
“If prices for visiting the Holy Land decrease, I will definitely visit this country as soon as possible. At the moment the prices of tour packages offered by Georgian tour operators is too high for me. 2 years ago, a group of my friends decided to visit Israel at Easter and they came back very excited with great impressions. Unfortunately I still haven’t managed to visit the ancient, historic and Holy Land,” Khatuna Tsimakuridze, 27, told The FINANCIAL.
“We have a bit of a higher price for our Easter tours. One week’s tours costs 1,750 USD, but this price is determined by the high class hotels and service. Our tourists spend a total of 7 nights and 7 days in Israel and this also determines the cost of the tour. The cost of a tour package per person in a double room is 1,750 USD. A room for one person costs 2,320 USD and a room for three persons costs 1,720 USD per person,” said Nino Namgaladze, Managing Director of Via Travel.
As Namgaladze says tourists can spend 2 nights at the Golden Crown 4 star hotel in Nazareth and 5 nights at the Dan Panorama 4 star hotel in Jerusalem.
“The price of packages includes the cost of a return air ticket for the route Tbilisi-Tel Aviv-Tbilisi, airport customs, transport service from airport to airport within the territory of Israel, excursion service with Russian language guide, living at the hotel with meals twice a day, travel insurance, and Israeli visa customs costs,” Via Travel notes.
“We offer our clients individual headphones for the whole tour. Tourists will be able to receive information from guides with the help of their headphones. Hotel Dan is a very famous hotel in Jerusalem. Sometimes foreign politicians and even some country’s presidents stay there. All of our clients have a guarantee of service quality and stay at the best hotels with great locations,” Namgaladze said.
“Meals are very important for us as we order special fasting products to the hotels beforehand in order to make our guests comfortable. During Lent no one eats bread in Israel and we must offer people such products that will act as a substitute for that,” Namgaladze said.
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