“The choice of Israel as the host country once again underscores Israel’s attractiveness,” said the Foreign Ministry.
By TPS
The global Miss Universe beauty pageant will be held for the first time in its history in Israel, and the southern city of Eilat was chosen to be the host city of the competition, which will mark its 70th anniversary.
From the end of November, competition contestants will arrive in Israel for three weeks of TV events, broadcast live around the world. These include the semi-final and final events, the national costume show, and other gala events such as the red-carpet event, events in the community, charity events and more.
Delegations from about 100 countries are expected to attend the pageant in Israel, including more than 1,200 members of official delegations, hundreds of journalists and TV crews, thousands of pageant enthusiasts and tourists, more than 100 American celebrities, including top-tier artists and world-famous judges.
“Every year, the event is widely covered in the media and it will add Israel to the map of countries that have previously hosted the prestigious pageant,” Israel’s Ministry of Tourism stated Tuesday.
“The choice of Israel as the host country once again underscores Israel’s attractiveness, its rich history and the wide variety of spectacular tourist and resort sites that Israel has to offer pageant viewers around the world. An international event of this scale will positively impact awareness and image of Eilat and Israel as a leading tourism destination and a world-renowned international brand,” the Ministry added.
Global exposure to the Miss Universe pageant is estimated at about 1.3 billion people, who follow the pageant in broadcast, print and social media.
“The very existence of the pageant in Israel will increase positive global exposure to Israel and brand Eilat and the State of Israel as destinations capable of hosting high-level international events, as has been the case with Eurovision and Giro d’Italia,” the Ministry stated.
With hotel stays and pageant-related events, the pageant will contribute to Eilat’s economy and serve as a major growth engine for Israel and its domestic and incoming tourism.
Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, stated that “Israel has been on our shortlist of host countries for a number of years due to its rich history, beautiful landscapes, myriad of cultures and appeal as a global tourist destination,” and “as we sought an impressive location for our 70th-anniversary celebration, it became clear through our conversations with acting mayor Lankri and the Israeli Ministry that Israel has the best resources to host Miss Universe.”