The Eilat Municipality has announced a tender for attraction development on an old airport site in the centre of the city.
Tourism in the Israeli city has been hit by COVID-19, and it is hoped that this new project will encourage people to visit.
There are plans to build an amusement park, theatre, “water games” and car museum on a 36 acre stretch of the old airport site.
Tender for attraction installation and operation
The area up for tender is 3.5 acres (14 dunams) on the southern section of the site. The tender is for the installation of attractions like a Big Wheel, however, the exact mix of attractions has not yet been decided.
In an interview with Globes, Head of the Terminal Park Administration, Or Karniel, said, “this tender offers developers an area of fourteen dunams, divided into smaller plots. The developers will be able to construct attractions there at their expense, installations such as at the Luna Park in Tel Aviv. Each installation will be an independent, separate business”.
Festival area will also be built
It is expected that the park will open in late 2021. In addition to these paid attractions, there will be a free zone. A park will be built that connects the east and west sides of the city.
Furthermore, there are plans to build a festival area taking up 17.5 acres. This will include a performance space, camping ground and more. The old airport terminal building will become a municipal cultural centre.
This is expected to cost around NIS 170 million.
Derman Verbakel Architecture, a Tel Avivi architectural firm, is designing the park.
“We’re talking about the focal point of the city, a strategic and prestigious location, a stone’s throw from the sea. We are creating a varied and beautiful area here, with a promenade and water games, a theatre, a museum for cars. We think this place will be a magnet,” said Avi Cohen, CEO of the Economic Company of Eilat, the municipality’s financial arm.
More information about the tender, including how to apply, can be found here.
Airport attractions are a new trend in traveltainment with examples including Jewel Changi Airport, ‘MyDubai Experience’ at Dubai International Airport and Flight of Dreams at Chubu Centrair Airport.
Images: Derman Verbakel Architecture
