Eilat is in for a mix of fun and diplomacy on a grand scale. FunJoya, a first-of-its-kind mega-festival for students from around the globe is expected to bring 6000 students in September to the vacation city on southern the tip of Israel.
The festival, which will take place September 2-4 in Eilat with a Tourism Ministry investment of 4 million shekels (slightly more than $1 million), is expected to attract students from Israel and overseas, including, among others, England, Holland, Italy, Poland and Spain.
The 2-night, 3-day festival will offer participants a pleasant vacation packed with social and cultural events, movie screenings, karaoke, stand-up performances and live music shows. The students will also participate in workshops and debates on various political, diplomatic, and public diplomacy issues.
The organizers are working in cooperation with the main international student bodies such as Project Birthright and the World Union of Jewish Students (WUJS), which are publicizing the festival on campuses around the world. Attractively-priced package deals including accommodation and flights are available via ISSTA and El Al, and students will also enjoy discounts and benefits at about 100 participating restaurants, cafes and stores in Eilat.
Thousands of hotel rooms in the six participating hotels in Eilat have been reserved for the festival, which is expected to generate millions of shekels revenue for the resort city. In addition to the enjoyable festival experience for the students, the organizers have set additional goals – branding Israel as an attractive tourism destination for students, improving Israel’s image among this target group and facilitating multi-cultural encounters for students from Israel and European countries.
Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov said, “The student festival is of great importance to the city of Eilat and to the State of Israel, both in terms of promoting student tourism to the resort city, which will in turn contribute to the local economy. Tourists will enjoy with Israel and its touring, cultural and entertainment options. We will work to ensure the festival is an annual event and to bring new sectors to Israel in general and Eilat in particular and expose them to an attractive and quality vacation in Israel.”
FunJoya is organized by Peles, a leading company in Israel in marketing and sales promotion to students, in cooperation with the Tourism Ministry and the Israel Students Association.