Ever since the very beginning of Eilat as a city (somewhere in the 1950s) Eilat had managed to use it's unique landscape to promote the tourism industry. Operation Kadesh and the occupation of Sinai, in addition to Jacques-Yves Cousteau's successful film “The Silent World” (which was filmed, amongst many other locations, also in Eilat) brought Eilat to the positioning of an international tourism destination.
The eighties and the nineties brought with them a new construction boom of fancy hotels along the shore, followed by a new revival of the tourism industry in Eilat. Many festivals and culture events took place in Eilat, such as “Rock in the Red Sea” and the International Jazz Festival. In addition, dozens of diving clubs were founded, and to this very day – they are the beating heart of the diving tourism in Eilat.
The Gulf of Eilat's breathtaking landscape allows even the most cynical tourist connect to nature. This is how a special niche opened up in tourism industry, a niche which includes special and educational attractions such as hikes, bird watching and astronomy.
Eilat's tourism industry continued to expand, until it took a place of honor in every Israeli teenager's “must-do” list, either in the form of a vacation with friends (a local coming-of-age ceremony, if you wish) in the form of a first job in a hotel after their military service, or both.
Peace agreements with Jordan and Egypt were signed, and contributed to the development of the tourism industry in Eilat, with fruitful collaborations of tourism companies, yachts and Eilati tour guides who started marketing trips to Sinai, Egypt and Jordan.
In conclusion, Eilat's tourism industry is built on layers. Either it's diving, hiking, birdwatching, shopping, attractions, cruising, exploring nearby countries, boutique hotels, parties or just sun bathing, tourists that come to Eilat can chose their very own style of vacation from the variety of layers, and return to their daily routine with renewed energy and a suiting tan.