Emerging from the peak of the global pandemic, Israel is preparing to welcome back tourists.

The first international guests are due to begin arriving from Greece on August 1st.

The announcement follows a visit of Greece prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakisis, to Israel in recent days.

In the meantime, capital Jerusalem is beginning to reopen to domestic tourists with attractions, restaurants and hotels already opening their doors.

In preparation to welcome visitors back to the city, attractions, services and hospitality venues are reopening in line with strict health regulations enforced by ministry of health.

These measures follow recent research which studied the behaviour of 200 countries around the world during the Covid-19 crisis and listed Israel in third place on the list of safest countries.

The country has seen only 303 coronavirus related deaths to date, but cases have continued to increase in recent days.

Sharon Bershadsky, director of the Israel Government Tourist Office in the UK, said “We are thrilled to see the Israel tourism industry begin to open up again, including the world-famous hotels, restaurants and attractions of Jerusalem.

“We are currently working with travel industry partners and friends in the UK to make sure travel and Israel is even more exciting and enjoyable for our UK visitors, and we look forward to welcoming them back soon.”