Experts expect a large influx of investment into Israel's so-called "third-tier" cities. Among the cities expected to experience rapid development are Arad, Carmi, and Nahariya.
This was stated by Michael Carmon, an investment banker representing the division Cukierman & Co. Investment House Ltd. (a leading Israeli investment group) in an interview with Hotel Management ahead of the Israel Investment Summit, which will be held in Tel Aviv on November 19-20, 2018. The expert will participate in the section "Investments: Where are the deals taking place and who is investing?"
Describing the state of the Israeli hotel market and investment in this sector, the expert noted that Tel Aviv is becoming an increasingly important city – both for business and tourism.
"Major real estate investors are entering the market, multinational corporations like Facebook and Amazon are expanding their presence in Israel, and hotel operators have built numerous hotels in Tel Aviv. Other Israeli cities have also experienced a construction boom over the past 10 years, including Netanya, Ashdod, Haifa, and Tiberias. We see great potential in third-tier cities and anticipate significant investment in Arad, Carmi, and Nahariya. Cukierman's goal is to attract foreign investors to Israel and offer investment opportunities to our Israeli clients," the expert emphasized.
He also clarified that, overall, returns on real estate investments in Israel are quite high. Residential properties yield between 3 and 3.5 percent, commercial properties between 6 and 7 percent, and hotel profits can be even higher, as they are in a league of their own, especially if the property is owned by a reputable, reputable hotel operator.
"The Israeli real estate market has proven itself resilient to geopolitical and financial crises, outperforming other developed economies around the world. Ultimately, this is the most important factor for investors," noted a representative of Cukierman.
According to him, the hotel market currently significantly outperforms other real estate sectors in terms of profitability and is one of the most profitable, especially in Europe.
"In recent years, Israel has experienced superior GDP growth compared to other countries. Real estate is one of the Israeli investment sectors that has benefited from this growth, posting strong and consistent results. This is confirmed by Israel's recent credit ratings, according to Moody's and S&P. The tourism industry is also very profitable for hoteliers. Firstly, hundreds of thousands of Jews come to Israel every year to visit loved ones, conduct business, or simply experience the places where their ancestors came from. Secondly, the pleasant climate and access to beautiful beaches are already a draw. Thirdly, the Israeli tourism market is not subject to seasonality due to sunny summers and mild winters, so hotels are occupied most of the year. Consequently, hotel room prices remain relatively high, even compared to top tourist destinations. Therefore, hoteliers and operators are in a good position. However, the market structure is quite small and not overly saturated. Some local players are actively exploring new niches to focus on, such as business hotels," Michael Carmon emphasized.
He also stated that large international hotel brands such as the Ritz-Carlton, which is currently successfully operating in Israel in the luxury segment, will soon come to Israel.
“Meanwhile, leading Israeli hotel chains like Fattal are expanding in Europe and around the world, making Israel’s hotel industry a more significant player in the global hotel business,” the expert added.
Source: trn-news.ru