New Pleasure Cruise Line Launched: Haifa-acre-haifa

NEW PLEASURE CRUISE LINE LAUNCHED: HAIFA-ACRE-HAIFA

A new pleasure cruise line has been launched today (Monday) at the Haifa and
Acre ports in the presence of the Tourism Ministry Yariv Levin, Tourism
Ministry Director-General Amir Halevi, the mayor of Haifa Yona Yahav and the
mayor of Acre Shimon Lankri.

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin: “Today we launched the tourist pleasure cruise
line between Haifa and Acre. This is the first such project of its kind in
Israel, a complex one that I set as a central objective in developing the
tourism infrastructure in the north, and this, after many years of talk but
without implementation. This scheduled pleasure cruise line will serve as a
fixed-price tourism attraction and will help significantly in promoting
tourism to Haifa and Acre.”

Jerusalem, October 10, 2016 – The pleasure cruise line between Haifa and
Acre inaugurated today is the initiative of the Ministry of Tourism through
the Old Acre Development Company Ltd. and the municipalities of Haifa and
Acre. The Tourism Ministry invested about NIS 11 million in the upgrading of
the two ports and the Haifa and Acre municipalities will assist in marketing
the line that will, in the future, include a combined ticket offering tours
in the tourism sites in Acre and Haifa. The Tourism Ministry estimates that
the pleasure cruise line will attract thousands of tourists, domestic and
international, each year.

It should be noted that this is the first time that a scheduled pleasure
cruise line has operated between Haifa and Acre, seven days a week, morning
and evening, with a fixed timetable. During the holiday periods(with the
exception of Remembrance Day and Yom Kippur), there will be double the
number of sailings. The line will operate on a running-in basis between now
and Passover 2017.

The line will depart from Acre at 10:00 and 15:00 (with an extra sailing on
the upcoming Succot festival at 12:00) and from Haifa at 11:00 and 16:00 00
(with an extra sailing on the upcoming Succot festival at 13:00). The
sailing takes 45 minutes and the boat has a capacity of up to 200
passengers. A one way trip costs NIS 30, and NIS 55 for a two way ticket.
Passengers will be able to enjoy the views of the Carmel Mountains, downtown
Haifa, along the coast, the colorful and authentic fishing port and the
Acre Marina.

The launch event also inaugurated the Bustan (Orchard) Gardens in Acre,
which reconstruct the Ottoman-period fruit orchards that were part of the
Palace of Pasha Al-Jazaar. Al-Jazaar was the governor of the north of Israel
during the Ottoman Empire from 1775 – 1804. The gardens were part of the
palace, which today serves as the Underground Prisoners Museum.

The Tourism Ministry, through the Old Acre Development Company Ltd,
initiated the NIS 2.8 million renovation of the gardens, which was overseen
by architect Ilan Abraham. The 4,000 square meter garden, includes a 900
square meter area for events, a new, 300-seat amphitheater with room for
another 400 seats, as well as citrus, pomegranate, olive, sycamore and lime
trees, grassed areas, benches, fountains and more. Some of the trees date
back to the original orchards.