Israel and Egypt agreed in principle this week to the establishment of a car and passenger ferry service between Ashdod and Port Said to cater primarily for tourists. The sea route was one of the subjects discussed by Israel’s Minister of Tourism, Avraham Sharir, and his Egyptian counterpart, Gamal el-Nazar, who visited Israel this week and inspected many of its tourist attractions.
The ferry crossing would take four hours, about one-third the time required to travel overland between Israel and Egypt via Sinai. Although much longer than the air trip, it would be considerably cheaper.
The two Ministers also agreed in principle to Red Sea cruises from Eilat to Sharm el-Sheikh at the southern tip of Sinai, mainly for foreign tourists. The service would be provided by a foreign firm. The Ashdod-Port Said ferry probably also would employ a foreign carrier as Israel owns no passenger vessels.
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