Miss Universe 2021 to be held in Israel, in December
Israel, a major player in beauty pageants such as Miss World and Miss Universe until the 1990s, will host the 70th edition of Miss Universe, in the city of Eilat, in December. The news came as a surprise, once pageant fans expected it to happen in Costa Rica, as announced by media sources in the Central American country.
Eilat is the southernmost city in Israel, located by the Red Sea. Its first human settlement took place over 9000 years ago, which means that it is a place that carries a lot of history and traditions. Diving is a very popular activity in the region (watch video from The Jerusalem Post HERE).
There will be three weeks of television events, which include the semi-finals and finals of the competition, as well as the national costume show, galas, charity events, and more.
In the statement, MUO noted Israel's attractiveness, rich history, a vast amount of tourist and resort sites, and experience at hosting international events such as the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest as key in choosing Israel as the host country for this year's event, which will once again be presented by American TV personality and entertainer Steve Harvey. Yes, he will be back, along with FOX TV.
With the live show being viewed by some 300 million people worldwide annually, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and over 1.3 billion people following the pageant by either broadcast, print, or social media, an event of international proportions such as the Miss Universe pageant has the potential to establish Eilat and Israel as a prominent tourist destination. Organizers claim that the show will be broadcast to close to 160 countries and territories.
"Israel has been on our shortlist of host countries for a number of years due to its rich history, beautiful landscapes, myriad of cultures, and appeal as a global tourist destination," said President of the MUO Paula M. Shugart. "It became clear that Israel has the best resources to host Miss Universe. We look forward to deepening our commitment to creating meaningful cultural conversation, connection, and understanding through this partnership," Shugart added.
"We in Israel are delighted to host the 70th anniversary celebrations of the iconic Miss Universe pageant," commented Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov. We have successfully faced the COVID-19 crisis head on, therefore, today we are among the first countries to host an international event," he added.
Razvozov also said Miss Universe is "an event celebrating women’s empowerment, optimism, tolerance and desire for excellence, that crosses every geographical and national border."
The statement acknowledged Israeli Miss Universe producers Tali Eshkoli and Assaf Blecher as responsible for bringing the beauty pageant to Israel for the first time ever. "For me, this is a dream come true. Having previously produced Miss Universe, I have been working for years to bring the production to Israel. I believed it would happen, mainly to showcase to the world the story of our country as a warm, loving, and accepting country," said Blecher.
Israel won the Miss Universe title once, back in 1976, when Rina Messinger was elected in Hong Kong. In 1998, in Seychelles, Israel won its first and so far only Miss World title, with Linor Abargil. Nonetheless, its most famous and celebrated beauty queen is Miss Israel 2003, Gal Gadot, who failed to make the cut in Ecuador, where Miss Universe was held that year but went on to become the iconic new Wonder Woman.
The Miss Universe pageant gained life in 1952, one year after Miss World, in Long Beach, California, USA. The first Miss Universe was Finland´s Armi Kuusela. The woman elected in Israel, in December, will be the 70th Miss Universe.
GB opinion: Great news, but it is a pity that Miss Universe will once again collide with Miss World… Grand Slam pageants should work closer and schedule their events in dates apart from one another.