As the war between Hamas and Israel intensifies in the Middle East, tensions are spilling over into Europe, where demonstrations and terrorist attacks are causing disruptions for locals and visitors alike.
10.10.2023 - 16:30 / skift.com / Sean Oneill / Sébastien Bazin
Tel Aviv-headquartered Brown Hotels saw evacuees and stranded travelers pour into many of its rooms at its 24 hotels in Israel in the aftermath of brutal attacks on Saturday.
“Around 150 of our rooms in Tel Aviv are hosting evacuees,” said Shahaf Segal, Brown Hotels’ spokesperson. “For example, at our 200-room Brown BoBo, we have 60 families of evacuees from the settlements around Gaza,” Segal said. “We organized a donation room in our conference hall, where people come in and donate clothes and other necessities.” One property has about 20 children.
Skift has long noted that the travel sector is the global crucible for everything. For the staff of Brown Hotels, reacting to the Israel Hamas War is personal.
“The minute this is over, we’ll go back to running sexy boutiques,” Segal said. “But right now, we’re preoccupied with giving back to the community.”
At theDebrah Brown luxury hotel in Tel Aviv on Sunday, celebrity chef Eyal Shani provided free kosher meals to evacuees at Dvora, his restaurant attached to the hotel. On Wednesday, Shani’s restaurant will host another group.
Domestic and international tourism is at a standstill in Israel. The remaining guests are either stranded travelers unable to return from abroad because of canceled flights and displaced Israelis.
At its 14 properties in Greece in Cyprus, Brown Hotels invites stranded Israelis to use the promotional code “together” for discounted rates.
Brown Hotels staff are focused on the crisis. But once the emergency has receded, all hoteliers in Israel — including Dan Hotels, Fattal Hotel Group, and Isrotel — may face financial worries.
Before the crisis, Israel saw weaker hotel demand this year than expected. Bookings between January through July 2023 were 12% below the comparable timespan in 2019, according to data cited by the Israel Hotel Association. Spiking airline prices and visa snafus depressed international tourism.
Domestic tourism has been depressed by inflation. Israelis face the highest cost of living among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Domestic travelers must also pay value-added tax on hotel room reservations. At hotels, the need for armed guards increases operational costs for hotels, who must pass it along via higher rates.
Accor, which runs four hotels in the country that were unaffected, said that one of its employees out of about 250 in the country seemed to be sadly missing: “The group has been in close contact with the teams on the ground monitoring the situation hour by hour to best adapt emergency measures and necessary support,” Group CEO Sébastien Bazin said. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by these tragic events.”
IHG: “We’re monitoring the situation in
As the war between Hamas and Israel intensifies in the Middle East, tensions are spilling over into Europe, where demonstrations and terrorist attacks are causing disruptions for locals and visitors alike.
MSC Cruises announced it was forced to cancel the full winter program of sailings aboard MSC Orchestra scheduled for the Red Sea due to the ongoing conflict in Israel and the surrounding regions.
To celebrate their 20th anniversary this year, Atlanta residents Jessica and David Goldberg booked an Oceania Cruise. The voyage started in Greece and dropped them off in Israel on October 4, where they planned to spend the next week exploring.
Step into a world where art transcends the boundaries of traditional galleries and finds its home within the luxurious confines of some of the world's most esteemed hotels. In this captivating journey, we will explore the intriguing fusion of hospitality and artistic expression, taking you on a tour of remarkable hotels with impressive art collections.
Editor note: This article is regularly updated as new information becomes available and is accurate as of 10:30 a.m. EDT on Oct. 19. For the most up-to-date information, contact the U.S. Department of State or similar official websites.
Israel's war with the fundamentalist group Hamas continues to escalate after militants sprung a surprise attack on the country from Gaza on Saturday.
Royal Caribbean International is assisting the U.S. Embassy in Israel by helping to evacuate Americans in the wake of the ongoing war between the Middle Eastern country and Hamas.On Monday, Rhapsody of the Seas set sail from Haifa in northern Israel to Cyprus carrying U.S. citizens fleeing the country amid the turmoil."Royal Caribbean Group is actively supporting the U.S. Department of State in the assisted departure of American citizens," the cruise line said in a statement.The ship was operating on a first-come, first-served basis after canceling several itineraries last week due to the geopolitical situation."With your safety and well-being in mind, and in conjunction with our Global Security Department, we’ve decided that we must cancel our October 9, 2023, and October 13, 2023 Rhapsody of the Seas sailings," Royal Caribbean confirmed earlier this month.
Two weeks ago, the main square and streets around Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity were bustling with tourists.
Israel is continuing to bombard Gaza - home to more than 2 million inhabitants - after militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack last weekend.
For Royal Jordanian CEO Samer Majali, the war between Israel and Hamas creates multiple challenges.
I should be in Jerusalem tonight. I say that not because I’m a particularly religious man, but because I literally was scheduled to sleep in the City of David tonight.
Borders across Israel are now closed, and flight options are diminishing as major airlines stop commercial operations in Israel. Certain governments, including the United States, will use charter flights to evacuate their citizens.