Tourism in the Gaza Envelope is growing, and a new initiative could add significant momentum: Major General (res.) Amram Mitzna, Chairman of the Yeruham Foundation and Chairman of the Fundraising Committee of Bank Hapoalim for the Rehabilitation of the Gaza Envelope and the North, plans to build an agricultural hotel in Kibbutz Urim in the Negev, near the Gaza Envelope.
The hotel, which is expected to include 120 rooms, will focus on agricultural experiences and eco-tourism. It will offer its guests the opportunity to participate in the kibbutz’s agricultural activities and learn about local production sectors. Among the hotel’s facilities are a transparent dining room simulating a shaded greenhouse, a conference hall, a spa, and a pool.
The hotel will be built on the kibbutz land, which holds a tourism zone permit and approval for building a hotel with up to 250 rooms. Mitzna, who previously initiated the Desert Iris hotel in Yeruham, signed a memorandum of understanding with Kibbutz Urim and is now in the process of raising investors for the project, which is estimated to cost around NIS 80M. His partner in the project is Eli Gonen, the owner of a hotel management company, who also manages Desert Iris.
Danny Dardek, the business manager of Kibbutz Urim, tells Ma'ariv about the new initiative: “The idea was initiated by Amram Mitzna. Amram has a hotel in Yeruham, and everyone thought it was a crazy idea, but today that hotel is a big success. He came to us because the kibbutz has a defined area for tourism and hotels, and after October 7th, he wanted to build a hotel in the Gaza Envelope. We reached agreements with him, and he has already started planning the hotel and looking for investors.”
On the current tourism in the kibbutz, Dardek says: “Currently, Kibbutz Urim has a small, modest guesthouse with 38 rooms, but it’s very charming. We have some experience in this kind of tourism. It’s true that this area wasn’t a tourist destination in the past, but we know how to brand it correctly – and it will be a big success.”
“There will be a four-star resort hotel here, with a focus on agriculture. The kibbutz is strong in these productive sectors, and the people who come will be able to see how farming is done in Israel – how potatoes are grown, how clementines and avocados are harvested, and how milk production begins. We’re optimistic that it can succeed.”
Dardek concludes by saying that the recent security events actually increase the need for development in the area: “Unfortunately, after the events of October 7th, the area is full of movement, and that’s a side effect of the situation. But it gives hope that from now on, people will want to develop the area, and the issue of the hotel is very important for that.”
