Tourism in Haifa: the potential is huge - the realization is bleak • Commentary

1. A trending article that came to "slander" the mayor of the city as if she could produce anything. . Haifa is a special city, it has multiculturalism. Different religions: Baha'is, Ahmadis, Christians with their different factions and their special churches. Also Muslims and Druze in the Carmel Heights and more. The connection between the mountain and the sea makes the difference from the rest of Israel's cities. Haifa's multiculturalism and fascinating history can give the tourist great sightseeing spaces.
   The beginnings of the Carmelites are in Wadi Shikh and they have a beautiful chapel in Stella Maris. There is a beautiful road that descends from the Chapel of the Sacred Heart to the renovated Eliyahu Cave, there are many other hidden gems in Haifa. Please do not slander the wonderful mayor who works tirelessly for the advancement of Haifa.

2. If the stadium cannot be used to bring performances that attract tens of thousands of tourists each - also domestic tourism, for example a 12,000 seat hall with 40 performances per year = 1.2 million tickets. If half of that are tourists, and a third of them will spend the night in the city for the performance, then you have added 200 tourist nights. and hundreds of thousands of restaurant visits.
   A 30-seat stadium that will host 10 major concerts this summer - 300,000 tickets, 70 overnight stays for tourists.
   There is no way in the world that there is a stadium like this and it stands desolate for 3 months during football league breaks and in many stadiums on days when there are no games there are performances throughout the year once a week which is millions of tickets and hundreds of thousands of overnight stays for tourists throughout the year.
   One of Haifa's huge misses. At the moment there are performances only in Romema Hall and there is a problem with setting up a stage with screens because it will reduce the number of seats to only 3000 and it is not profitable for big artists, only on a central stage in the middle like at Festigal, it limits the artists.

   • By the way of the stadium, it is amazing that there seems to be unanimity regarding the failure of its management and still nothing has been done to improve the situation.

   • Hi Hanan, there is no unanimity even in this. Don't want to upset Maccabi Haifa. We give in to every whim and one of them is that the grass is sacred and you can't build stages on it for performances in the summer. It's interesting how in the whole world you can only make excuses in this stadium. Wait this gets more absurd. At the beginning of the term, I discussed this with the mayor's adviser. The answer was that multiple events would cause severe traffic problems in the area of ​​the Matam intersection and complaints about noise nuisance and traffic jams from Naot Peres. No, there are no such things. They destroyed Kiryat Eliezer because it was too close to a residential neighborhood, they put a stadium and then created a residential neighborhood around it again and this is an excuse not to bring concerts to it ? Or the lack of public transportation to it and fear of traffic jams? Or fear of the lawn? Or a problem with emergency exits? (Which for some reason does not exist when there are 30 football fans, only at concerts is there such a problem?).
     I'm really asking, did you take hundreds of millions of shekels from the taxpayers? You built a facility - good. Located five minutes walk from a train station and a central bus station. They claim that there are matrons to it (let's assume that in any case in the direction of the Carmel Castle in the future there will be another traffic light line through it). So what are the excuses now about traffic jams at the traffic light intersection and noise nuisance and the stretch of grass and the slope of the stand..
     And they tell me why to complain about Haifa. Yes, everything is great, let's bow our heads and go see shows only in Bloomfield.
     Does Haifa have an amphitheater like the Live Park in Israel? Oh, neither. Well, don't complain. Unless it's about parking spaces, for some reason everyone is allowed to complain, what?

3. hello to you I wrote to Mr. Nir Shuver, who claims that he cares about Haifa, I suggested that we meet. No response from him.

   • Aliza I didn't understand why you have to give free gifts to tourists? What is needed is to invest in those areas to attract tourists to pay to see them like in any other city. Museums and concerts and free tours will not attract tourists if they are in old areas, streets full of cars in Taddy which today is difficult to walk there. or in old buildings without proper maintenance. In Bilbao, they invested hundreds of millions in a special structure by Frank Gehry, that's how they attract tourists. In Tel Aviv they built a new wing for the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and are building a new wing for the Land of Israel Museum and built the Palmach Museum and the Rabin Center. What has been added in Haifa in the last 40 years? is nothing.

4. hello to you There are two days a month when the Haifa Symphony Orchestra performs. in the regular concert series. Unfortunately, the hall is never full!!!!! Why not assign tourists 50 free tickets? They will tell their friends abroad about the wonderful surprise and experience from the concert.

5. hello to you What wonder that tourists do not visit Haifa. Haifa is filthy!!!!!!! Several times I complained about the upside down trash cans and all the trash spilling on the sidewalks. Come and visit Gan Mania Shochat, the center of Carmel. Check out the plaza next to the cinematheque and the auditorium. Dirt, dirt, dirt!!!! Bins have no value, if they are so easy to change. The cleaning workers are more likely to rest on the benches instead of sweeping the streets.

6. hello to you As someone who knows Haifa well, and visits the various museums, I would suggest giving free entrance tickets!!!! For tourists to all the museums, only the Hecht Museum at the university is free. In all my visits to the various museums, I did not meet any tourists. Large, enlightening signs should be placed in the port of Haifa about free entry to the various museums. The tourists disembarking from the various cruise ships that visit the port of Haifa will happily visit the museums. Recruit tourist guides who speak fluent English, and do not stutter in sloppy English and give free tours of Wadi Nissens, and the graffiti paintings. The tourists will know other tourists who will come in the future. And also a free bus for tourists who want to visit the Druze villages, again under the guidance of qualified, English-speaking guides!!!!

   • I personally do not think that free entry to museums will fundamentally (if at all) change the picture.
     If the permits do not come to the museums, the question arises as to why. I find it hard to believe that because of the payment. Most likely due to lack of knowledge or the museums are not attractive enough.

     Regarding tourist tours in the city, I completely agree that they are needed but see no reason why they should be given for free.

7. potential? There is no potential in Haifa.
   First of all, there are cities around Haifa that are more interesting to tourists - Tiberias, Nazareth and Acre. Haifa in every tourist book is a maximum of a night stop and a tour of Bahá'í gardens - Stella Maris on the way to pilgrimage sites in the Galilee.
   Secondly, Haifa is an industrial city without an airport, without a marina, with old-fashioned promenades, without summer concerts in its empty stadium,
   Almost no festivals or fairs that interest anyone in the world. It doesn't have any markets worth visiting, nor does it have squares or palaces worth a few hours. The museums are small and the municipality does not invest in new buildings. Medatek is expensive and not a place for which you make a stop in Haifa. The Lui Promenade is deserted, beyond a ten-minute stop in front of the view with the buses and a trip to another place, there is nothing in it.
   Yona Yahav started the term in 2003 with 1500 hotel rooms. and finished the terms in 2018 with 1500 hotel rooms.
   It's not a failure, it's a catastrophe, in that 15-year period, the number of hotel rooms in Tiberias doubled. In Nazareth, 2 times. In Herzliya, 4 times. In Tel Aviv, 2 times. , nevertheless, tourism has increased in most Israeli cities. In Haifa it remained shockingly static. For every hotel that opens, one closes.
   Second thing in the article there is no understanding of what the types of tourism are. There is business tourism, there is conference tourism, there is religious tourism, there is medical tourism, there is family tourism. In the Haifa Tourism Association sit the council businessmen who do not understand any type of tourism, do not know how to leverage what the city does have, and the budget of the association for tourism development goes down the drain on nonsense.
   This is a municipality with officials who are not interested in tourists. They are interested in property tax for inflated budget pensions. They are interested in traveling to other cities that have squares, that have bustling shopping streets, that have beach promenades full of tourists and that nurture their natural sites. There is nothing in Haifa. There is no potential in Haifa. It's the truth. In Haifa there is a national garbage can into which polluting infrastructures are thrown and mayors who each in turn market daydreams and fictitious simulations, far-fetched promises and an order of priorities that destroys what does exist in the city with poor maintenance and neglect.

   • Really spreads optimism everywhere 🙂
     I do not share your fatalism, but you are right in some of your words and come up with beautiful ideas - thank you.

8. I am a tourist who just got off the ship at the port. I got off the bridge and where did I end up? To the Independence Street which is all dirty, ugly and uninviting to sit in any business.
   Wait, I forgot to say, it was on Saturday. I crossed Independence Street and reached dirty streets where young people hang out on Thursdays.
   But on Saturday everything is closed, and even if it was open what do I have to do in this area on Saturday?
   The answer is known: nothing.
   Well, we'll go somewhere else. Aha. how will we travel There is no public transport.
   Maybe we will travel in an open tourist bus like for example in Barcelona. only in a dream
   My bladder just clicked. Where are public services? Of course there isn't. You have to go back to the ship to pee.
   I was looking for a tourist center - none
   Souvenir shop - what is it?
   "Attractions" brochure and map - of course there is none.
   I returned to the ship.

   • You wrote very well!
     What you describe is defined as a "customer journey", what a customer goes through on the way to consuming a product or service.

9. Even those who live here have nothing to do, especially for tourists... there is nowhere to go out (a short trip to the Bat Galim promenade, or a coffee and a short trip in the lower city - two options to choose from). Sleeping Beauty is Haifa. The view is being marketed here, but the view is not enough. There is nothing to do here at any age. And high-tech (the prince on duty) does not improve the city (perhaps contributes property tax) and high-tech people do not stay in Haifa (it is very convenient for them not to live here, the train is so close). In short, apart from the fact that Haifa is cheaper than its sisters, it has nothing to offer.

   • By and large you are right.
     Regarding high-tech, like any other business field, it contributes to the city mainly with the workers in the field living there.
     The municipality of Haifa is not doing anything audible to increase employment and the result accordingly.

     By the way, in the mornings the train is loaded in the direction of Mark 7, among other things with high-tech workers. Much less busy into Haifa.
     This is unfortunately natural because of the larger job offer in the center.

     Regarding Haifa's sisters, I don't know who you are referring to, but neighboring cities such as Tirat Carmel, Nesher and Kiryat offer competitive price alternatives to the city.

10. You are absolutely right! This is like a colossal shaming of the Haifa municipality and those who stand at its head! I talked about the great potential as a tourist city here on Facebook, but beyond that there is no attention. Once, at least decades ago, the ships of the American Navy and others would come and then we would enjoy seeing the sailors and officers walking around the city.
    It is a burning failure that tourism in the city is not flourishing! There are hotels and more will be added, but there is no intentional, professional and urban hand!
    They probably don't understand what kind of boom and business growth there will be here with thousands of tourists, because then the entire business sector in the city will prosper and develop and the residents of the city will also benefit from that!!! The sad situation was also before the current municipal term.

    • Right and agree with you.

11. Try to also accept critical comments on the site even if they are not good for you. It was written in respectful language. Or you also run the "reasonableness test" on the site.

12. Indeed, our city Haifa, Hanan, has a huge tourism potential. The mayor of Haifa, Dr. Einat Kalish-Rotem, also told me at our meeting last Tuesday that the city of Haifa has enormous tourism potential. Mrs. Kalish called on the Israeli government and the Minister of Tourism to help Haifa in the field of tourism. She also called on entrepreneurs from all over the country to build hotels in Haifa and help Haifa. It is indeed true. Shalom and blessed.

    • Klish's answer reflects her failure, and she, in her own way, blames it on others

    • I am glad that the mayor thinks that Haifa has a huge tourist potential. But what I show in the article is that the potential is not realized at all and the question arises what is the mayor's part in this matter. In my opinion, she is the number 1 person responsible for this issue as for many other issues in the city. I expect the mayor to define tourist destinations, build a plan and appoint a person in charge of the area. All of this, of course, she must present to the public.

      To the best of my knowledge these things have not been done and the responsibility lies with the mayor.

      The call for entrepreneurs to build hotels in Haifa is puzzling to me. After all, the existing hotels are not fully occupied, so why build more hotels? If the tourists were to crowd Haifa, I guarantee you that entrepreneurs would be knocking on the doors of the municipality asking to build hotels.

      The tourists do not crowd the city due to the lack of management of the tourism issue (and other things) by the Haifa municipality.

    • Mrs. Kalish is indeed making great efforts to improve the residence and the service to the residents. The local media and the opposition do not make life easy for her, but considering the list of her contenders (currently) it is likely that we will see her vigorous work in another term as well. Indeed, my friend of the journalist

13. We received a panoramic photo of the current situation from you. You could have been content with a spot photo on one site, the Stella-Maris "Observatory", which reflects most of the problems you enumerate, and first of all - the very ignoring of these problems by the municipality and its management and opposition... it would have been better to expand more in the section on proposals and solutions. Unfortunately, I was prevented from presenting here the main points of the master plan for tourism, which I prepared for Haifa. It is likely that you would find interest in most of it, perhaps all of it, more than the mayors and chairmen of the tourism association, who left it to its own devices in the depths of a southern drawer, or on the edge of a northern shelf.

    • Feel free to share the highlights of your plan. Whether here, on social media and/or send to me.

14. As residents, is the increase in the number of tourists good for us? Okay, good for shuttle companies, restaurants/hotels, and we definitely want them to earn a decent living. But how many Haifaites and Israelis really dream of being maids or dishwashers? Do Haifa and our children need such jobs? What do the residents get out of the taxes collected by the state and the authority on the tourists? Will it reduce our property taxes, for example? I am not stating a position, but asking questions for thought. By the way, in quite a few cities in the world, the masses of modern tourists are a burden and a nuisance to the city's residents and they are looking for (yes, yes) creative ways to reduce and reduce their friction with the locals.
    What's wrong with us in Haifa that our wonderful beaches in the summer and the Louie Promenade where you mentioned parking is accessible and free for us? Envious of Tel Avivians where every place is packed and crowded and almost every parking is paid? Is this the quality of life we ​​want and strive for?
    By the way, free parking on the beaches of Haifa is something that is unique to few cities in the country and you have to give credit to the mayors of Haifa that they did not change that. At least they have one important success.
    In my opinion Haifa has enough and there is a good balance of tourists and Baha'is who come who are also considered quiet and pleasant tourists and who come to designated points for them in the city. As you wrote yourself the peace and quiet in Haifa on a walk on Shabbat is typical and charming for our city. Do we really really want it to change?

    • Your questions are very good and contribute to a substantive discussion.
      In my opinion, one of Haifa's strengths lies in its tourism potential. The realization of the potential will create welcome employment in the city and also for cleaners and dishwashers. What's wrong with that? The income from tourism, given a suitable mayor, will be used for the development of the city and investment in the fields of initiation, employment, personal security and more.

      Regarding the point you raised about tourists being a burden on the cities, you are absolutely right and indeed in cities such as Venice it is similar that the tourists do more harm than good. This is exactly the problem that Haifa will suffer from as long as tourists only come to see the Bahá'í Gardens. As soon as we manage to leave them for a few days in Haifa, we will enjoy income for the city.

      Regarding your question about the nature of the peaceful city and its change, I understand your heart. However, the city is growing and crowded and must develop. One way or another, what was will not be and we must plan and prepare accordingly. Monetizing the tourism assets in the city is one of the ways to develop Haifa.

15. There are no hotels in Haifa that can accommodate large groups. The only attempt to build such a cluster was made in the Carmel Beach Towers, but it was stopped at the beginning. The completion of the project will liven up the entire region and the city of Haifa. His burial will harm the city both due to the elimination of the possibility of wholesale organized tourism and the obligation of the public to pay huge sums of compensation.

    • And damage the most beautiful natural resource of Haifa's beaches? There are enough other places

    • The Carmel Beach Towers have become a symbol of anti-tourism and anti-environment in professional fiction. It's a wonder they still have supporters.

    • The main problem, as I showed in the statistics, is that tourists do not visit Haifa enough.
      Building more hotels will certainly not solve this problem.

    • Haifa needs a concentrated construction of about 1000 hotel rooms. Mass tourism cannot rely only on small boutique hotels. There is an approved hotel site at the bottom of Freud Road and next to it was a very large green area. Instead of completing several more hotels there, the municipality, with the loud encouragement of Galbhart Shmuel, approved a residential zoning change. It would be interesting to see who benefited from this. From here, only the site of the Carmel Beach Towers remains for construction. This is an approved project and must not be canceled. A row of urban hotels can also be built on the new sea front, Ichikidna, but they do not have a beach like the Carmel beach.

16. I read the article and you did not update anything.
    A lot of talk about what needs to be done in general without being specific about the project, budget and where they will get the money.

    • If I haven't updated *you* anything, I congratulate you that you are so numerous. Everyone I talked to was very surprised.
      The purpose of the article was to present the tourism problem based on current data and to offer an initial solution. Certainly not a regulated program in a field in which I am not an expert.

      You'd better present your claims to those responsible, that is, the Haifa Municipality. Moreover, you are welcome to share your information and offer solutions.

      Shabbat Shalom

17. Thanks, Hanan
    Your ability to turn the spotlight time and time again to a different issue and your care when it comes to the city you love so much (I too since I studied there many years ago), and above all your stubbornness, which does not give you rest, are palpable.
    I really hope that during the change of shifts, they will be able to recruit you to help promote Haifa and its residents to the rightful place.

    • Thanks for the feedback Aki and Shabbos Shalom.

18. Interesting. Accurate analysis including the numbers and solutions
    A wonderful Saturday

    • Thank you Jacob, Shabbat Shalom.

    • Just learn from the Gentiles. In Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna, London, Paris and more there are tours that focus on World War II. In Berlin, they also focus on stories near the remains of the wall, etc. These tours are full. Why not take tourists on the routes of the Mandate period and the War of Independence? In short, content tours. You can also do culinary tours. Vadi Nisnas specializes in oriental food that has spread, etc. You don't have to reinvent the wheel to focus on what is there.

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