The race against time to save the tourism capital of the north: "They asked if it's okay to walk here in a swimsuit"

Tiberias Mayor Yossi Naba describes the challenges of restoring the city to its tourism status, while preparing for a possible papal visit in 2030. The city suffers from past political instability, the effects of the coronavirus and the war, and infrastructure problems such as parking and drugs in the city center. Naba presents plans for developing regional tourism, building thousands of housing units, and investing in education, while maintaining a demographic balance.

Tiberias Mayor Yossi Naba describes in a wide-ranging interview the race to restore the city to its status as the tourism capital of the north. The grand vision includes preparing for a possible papal visit in 2030, which could bring millions of pilgrims, but Naba admits the city is not ready for such an event. He points to past political instability as a major factor in the erosion of Tiberias's tourism status, and notes that the coronavirus and the war have exacerbated the situation. Naba outlines plans to build thousands of hotel rooms, invest about 200 million shekels in the public space, and establish a tourism authority. However, he admits failure in dealing with the problem of drug addicts in the city center. Naba rejects the claim that the city is becoming Haredi, noting that about 30% of residents are Haredi, while setting a goal to maintain a demographic balance of 70-30. He emphasizes the aspiration that a tourist city will operate all week, while maintaining the status quo on Shabbat. Naba also plans a significant population increase to 120,000 residents by 2040, with the construction of thousands of housing units and the promotion of a train plan that will shorten the trip to the center.

The race against time to save the tourism capital of the north: "They asked if it's okay to walk here in a swimsuit"