After the signing of the Peace treaty (Abraham Accords) between Israel and Dubai, it has been observed that Pesach Jewish travelers have booked their flights for UAE instead of New York, Paris, or London. UAE has earned a good and impeccable reputation in the field of hospitality. UAE tourism authority is striving to offer good hospitality to kosher travelers.
For example, Al Habtoor Hotels in UAE was the first hotel operator that have introduced 24/7 kosher compliant services at three of its hotels in Dubai. On the other hand, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism is offering kosher certification services to hotels for no cost. But this organization offering its free services for only one year. These kinds of certifications will help encourage the Pesach travelers to choose UAE as their nest destination during Pesach holidays.
Completely Different Ballgame
Present Kosher travel is completely different from the earlier times. Kosher travel in the past means just sitting in a luxurious hotel restaurant or having a kosher meal wrapped in foil. Some Passover travelers also used to carry their frozen kosher meal with you or preparing their meal every night.
This type of kosher travel has disappeared many years ago. Nowadays, Jewish faith travelers can visit luxurious hotels where they can enjoy a wide range of options. For instance, Ritz Carlton in Cancun offers fresh kosher food to their Jewish people in different cities. They also board kosher cruises to offer fresh kosher meals.
Steps to follow
Following all kosher rules is not as easy as pie. Some defined steps should be followed while choosing the raw material and preparing the meals. Just like halal, kosher needs ritual slaughter of animals. Ellie Kriel has opened a kosher restaurant in UAE and this restaurant has also received kosher certification from OU, which is the world’s largest and reputable trademark for kosher marketplaces.
Though there are certain similarities between kosher and halal, kosher food is different from Halal. For example, seafood such as crustaceans and shellfish is off the menu. The kosher restaurants also serve fish. But these fishes must have fins and scales. It means that kosher restaurant does not have a place for smooth-skin fishes. The process of preparing the kosher meal is not easy because it requires a lot of attention. It is very important to follow every small detail mentioned in the Jewish dietary laws.
Awaiting The Rush
Direct flights from UAE and Israel will start soon after getting approval from both governments. There will be 28 weekly flights between these two countries. The delay in the running of these flights is because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hotels and airlines will witness the rush during the Jewish holidays like Sukkah, Pesach, etc.
Rituals To Follow
Jews have to thoroughly clean their home before the arrival of Passover. They have to clean their kitchen counters properly. It is important to make sure that there are no traces of yeast and flour in the house. While thoroughly cleaning the house, it is important to scrub cracks on the kitchen counters to properly remove the traces of flour and yeast. Thus, cleaning the home before Passover is such as tedious job. Therefore, most kosher observing Jews have started celebrating Passover at a luxury destination so that they do not need to spend their time at home cleaning chores.
The tour operators book certain numbers of the hotel, take their kitchen on a lease, and prepare this kitchen for making kosher food. In simple terms, they make arrangements for their kosher guests so that they do not face any problems during the travel journey.
Go For Diaspora
There is one thing that relatively goes unnoticed is the “diaspora” kosher travel market. During the Jewish holidays, it is quite common to see kosher observant tourists in different countries such as Israel, France, South Africa, Latin America, UK, the USA, and Australia. This year, UAE will also be included in Passover Programs. As it is going to be a new destination for kosher travelers, therefore UAE markets are going to see a rush during Pesach vacations.
Whether you are going alone or you are taking your whole family on vacation, you should plan the entire trip. We would recommend you to provide the contact the tour operators who organize Passover programs in different countries. You should tell your needs and demands so that they can customize your trip according to your needs.
If you are planning your Passover vacation in Dubai, then contact Passover programs’ operators now. By contacting Passover program operators, you will not face any problems during your trip.