Asaf Zamir has been appointed as the new minister of tourism for Israel, succeeding Yariv Levin in the role.

A member of the Blue & White Party, Zamir served as deputy mayor of Tel Aviv, under Ron Huldai, from 2013 to 2018, and at the age of 28, became the youngest deputy mayor in the history of the city.

Among his other achievements in the role, Zamir was instrumental in the re-branding of Tel Aviv.

Zamir said: “Becoming minister of tourism has been a life-long ambition of mine, and I have worked incredibly hard to reach this office.

“Israel is an incredible destination for tourism, and everyone who comes here falls in love with our country and the many opportunities it offers.”

He added: “As I take office during this difficult time, a great challenge lies ahead to restore Israel’s tourism industry to its previous success.

“However, there are plans in place to rebuild the industry, and in order to do so, we will get businesses back on track, starting with domestic tourism.

“I would like to thank everyone for their continued efforts so far and look forward to the work ahead to bolster the industry and bring tourists back to Israel once again.”

Photo: Miri Shimonovich