August numbers revealed tourism is up

After a challenging year for the tourism sector, positive 2009’s August figures and the forthcoming holiday season offers encouragement that the incoming Hebrew year of 5770 would see a continuous climb for the industry.

A statement announced by the Central Bureau of Statistics revealed that about 260,000 travellers entered Israel in August – a figure that was down from previous year’s unprecedented high of 265,000.

This year’s first half showed a major decline in arriving tourism caused by troubled security conditions as well as the global financial crisis. About 1.7 million visitors arrived in January through the month of August, 16 percent less than last year on the similar period and 16 percent more than in 2007.

The data revealed that about 212,000 travellers spent a minimum of one night in the country, with about 47,000 day tourists.

Numbers revealed that most incoming visitors in August were actually from Eastern Europe. Russia was the principal source with approximately 18,000 tourists, followed by Poland with approximately 6,000 tourists and Ukraine with only over 2,000.

Stas Meseznikov, Israel’s Tourism Minister said that their intense marketing efforts in the previous months are to be credited for the current growth.

He stated, "The new marketing positioning of Israel as the Holy Land, with Jerusalem at its centre, will continue to lead the Israeli tourism industry into growth.