The lucky Filipina beauty who will represent the Philippines in the 70th Miss Universe pageant this December will have the opportunity to be part of a historic global event to be held for the first time in Israel, in the City of Eilat, a picturesque southern port and resort town on the Red Sea near Jordan.
This was announced on Thursday by Israel Minister of Tourism Yoel Razvozov who was ecstatic about his country’s hosting of the glamorous competition which is expected to welcome delegations from about 100 countries.
“I fully hope that in December we will be celebrating not only the new Miss Universe here in Israel, but most importantly, the end of the world pandemic,” Razvozov said in a statement sent by the Embassy of Israel in the Philippines.
Israel will be the first country to hold such a huge event since the outbreak of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic in February last year.
Aside from the candidates, Israel is also expecting the arrival of more than 1,200 members of official delegations, hundreds of journalists and television crews, thousands of pageant enthusiasts and tourists, dozens of American celebrities, including top-tier artists and world-famous judges.
The choice of Israel as the host country underscores Israel’s attractiveness, its rich history and the wide variety of spectacular tourist and resort sites that Israel has to offer pageant viewers around the world.
According to the Tourism Ministry, an international event like the Miss Universe will positively impact awareness and image of Eilat and Israel as a leading tourism destination and a world-renowned international brand.
Israeli producer Tali Eshkoli and Los Angeles-based producer Assaf Blecher are responsible for bringing the Miss Universe pageant to Israel, which will be run by the Miss Universe organization in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and the City of Eilat.
Miss Universe contestants are expected to arrive in Israel at the end of November for three weeks of TV appearances that will be beamed live around the world. These activities include the semi-final and final events, the national costume show, and other gala events such as the red carpet, community, charity, and other related events.
Legendary American entertainer and game show host Steve Harvey will be the emcee of the pageant.
Sammy Yahia, Israel’s Tourism Director for India and the Philippines said it is a great opportunity for his country to host Miss Universe.
“I know that some Filipinos were crowned with this prestigious competition. I wish all participants good health and good luck and I look forward in seeing you all soon," he said.
To date, the Philippines has four beauties crowned as Miss Universe namely, Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margie Moran in 1973, Pia Wurtzbach in 2015 and Catriona Gray in 2018.