It was in the seventies. The Israeli shekel was low, whilst the dollar was high. We arrived at our family’s place with our children to squeals of laughter and happiness, bringing presents and of course money.
Our accommodation was simple – on the floor of the main room of their two-room abode. We unpacked the gifts – three items of clothing and three toys for each one of the children and a wad of money for their parents. We began in Bat Yam, then after a few days moved to the family in Ashdod for a repeat, but this time the children slept in the two beds between their five cousins stacked up in beds pushed together – like sardines. That was the custom in those days.
Today this would be unthinkable. We now rent an Airbnb or shack up in a hotel. Gifts? Not really. Money? No, we take them out to eat at a restaurant, or they take us. The days of us supporting them are over. We park our hire car next to theirs, or both of theirs. Their standard of living is high. As we are about to leave we meet some family members at the airport on their way to Greece, or Morocco or Peru. Those days of sleeping on the floor are merely memories. But that was three generations ago.
To find that good Israeli hotels in the high season cost between US$300 and $550 per night, with Airbnb at ridiculous ranges. is more than we expected. This is one of the reasons that Israel is missing out on tourists. Recently Japanese-style bins have been made available for US$50 per night, however finding cheap accommodation is difficult, usually prohibitive if available. More of this should be available.
What this is doing is telling tourists that if they do arrive they have to plan for short stays, if they come at all. Tourism is a major driver of the economy, and catering for the top sector is ignoring the potential of the market. Many organized tours for young people seem to show that this market is well-catered for. That is a fallacy. So many single and pairs of young people who are not connected to these tours would love to put Israel on their bucket list, however the lack of affordable accommodation forces them to choose other options such as Egypt or Thailand.
We are talking about a worldwide market of tourists which needs to have their accommodation satisfied before they will come.
Targeting professionals through exhibitions and events is ignoring the huge young demographic who spend a year or two travelling after school or college.
Building affordable accommodation throughout Israel for this sector will be the key to capturing this market. Otherwise they will simply not come. And summer vacation is not far away.