Pictured Above: The new “Jerusalem City Pass.” Credit: The Jerusalem Development Authority.

(JNS) The Jerusalem Development Authority, or JDA, has launched a series of services to make the city more accessible and convenient for visitors.

The goal of the new services, available this summer, is to put Jerusalem on par with other major cities around the world, such as London, Paris and New York.

In cooperation with OTIPASS, JDA initiated the “Jerusalem City Pass,” a ticket that can be purchased before arriving in Israel. Valid for a week, it can be used to save time spent on small payments and standing in lines, includes free inner-city bus and light-rail use, and offers discounts for main attractions throughout Israel’s capital.

JDA tourism director Ilanit Melchior says “the city has experienced immense growth and performed a leap into modernity” in recent years. The new services, she adds, will “connect the dots” for incoming visitors.

The pass also includes free bus service from Ben-Gurion International Airport to Jerusalem, equipped with Wi-Fi so travelers can view the “Itraveljerusalem” website (in six different languages) on board and receive updates on events taking place in the city.

The JDA will also station trucks at the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City and at the Machane Yehuda open-air market in the New City, where travelers can find information on local attractions, family activities, historical sites, cultural events and the culinary scene.

The trucks will offer free Wi-Fi, cell-phone capabilities and cold drinks.

“All this make tourists feel comfortable before and during their visit to Jerusalem,” says Melchior, providing them “with a soft landing” and “the feeling that they are being looked after.”

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