THE TOURISM MINISTRY LAUNCHES MULTI-MILLION SHEKEL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS TO STRENGTHEN ISRAEL'S IMAGE

AS A SAFE AND ATTRACTIVE TOURISM DESTINATION

Tourism Minister Ruhama Avraham-Balila: "Without a significant and immediate increase in budget from the government, it will not be possible to restore incoming tourism traffic. The significance: lost revenue and job cuts."

In light of the global economic crisis and the effects of the operation in Gaza, the Tourism Ministry will launch next week its first wave of the Israel's 2009 marketing campaign around the world. The ministry will invest 26 million shekel in marketing activities during February 2009 with the goal of restoring incoming tourism. The objectives: strengthening Israel's image as a safe destination for tourists, maintaining the level of demand for visiting Israel and boosting the wholesalers and tour operators working in cooperation with the Tourism Ministry. The ministry will launch other waves of marketing activities during the coming months, in keeping with the ministry's objectives and the marketing needs of the target countries and in line with the marketing budgets to be approved by the government.

Following Israel's all-time record year for incoming tourism in 2008 with 3 million visitors, 2009 opened in the shadow of the operation in Gaza and the global economic crisis which adversely affected incoming tourism. As a result of the situation, the Tourism Ministry is about to embark on a program of activities designed to increase incoming tourism, including, among others, advertising campaigns, PR activity, participation in tourism fairs around the world and meetings with the largest tourism wholesalers.

The first wave of marketing activity will begin in February in Germany, Russia, Italy and France. Within the framework of the overall marketing program over the next few months, the Tourism Ministry will launch advertising campaigns in target countries to include North America, Britain and other countries, alongside varied marketing activities in South Korea, Poland, Brazil and China.

Tourism Minister Ruhama Avraham-Balila: "Without an approved annual budget and without significant and immediate increase in budget from the government, it will not be possible to restore incoming tourism traffic to the achievements registered in 2008. The significance of this will be lost revenue and job cuts in the various tourism industries." The minister added that "during the next few months, the Tourism Ministry plans to lead Israel's marketing and PR activities in tourism, with the main objective being to restore tourists' trust in Israel as a safe destination for tourism."

Today (28.1.09), representatives from the Tourism Ministry, headed by the Tourism Minister Ruhama Avraham-Balila, are participating in the world's largest tourism fair for Spanish-speakers in Madrid. As in previous years, over 13,500 companies from 170 countries are expected to participate in the fair, as well as over 150,000 people from the tourism industry and thousands of journalists. 28 different Israeli tourism companies, including hotels, airlines, tourism associations, wholesalers and others, are exhibiting their products and services in Israel's 330 square meter stand, in order to encourage tourism to Israel.

(Courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)
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January 19, 2009

PREPARING FOR THE 2009 TOURISM YEAR

2008 WAS AN ALL-TIME RECORD YEAR FOR INCOMING TOURISM: 3,031,100 VISITORS. TOURISM'S TOTAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY: 40 BILLION SHEKEL AND 160,000 EMPLOYEES

The Tourism Ministry is making preparations for the 2009 tourism year in light of the operation in Gaza and the global economic crisis. The Tourism Minister will shortly submit a request to the Finance Minister to increase Israel's overseas marketing budgets in order to bring back tourist traffic to Israel.

The Central Bureau of Statistics published today the incoming tourism statistics for the year 2008, an all-time record year with 3,0310,100 visitors (32% more than 2007 and 13% more than the previous record year of 2000). 203,000 visitors entered Israel during December 2008, an increase of 4% over December 2007.

The largest number of tourists in 2008 came from the USA (617,000; a record figure), with 356,000 entering from Russia (84% more than 2007), 264,000 visitors from France (7% more than 2007), 187,000 from Britain (an increase of 9%) and 142,000 from Germany (40% increase). During 2008, 415,000 day visitors came to Israel (14% of all visitors), mainly via the border crossing in Eilat. The majority of these day visitors originate from Russia, Poland, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.

The Tourism Ministry notes that the tourism industry's total contribution to the Israeli economy in 2008 stands at 40 billion shekel. About 160,000 employees work in tourism-related activities, of whom about 90,000 are employed directly in the various branches of the tourism industry.

In the near future, Tourism Minister Ruhama Avraham-Balila will submit a request to the Finance Minister Roni Bar-On to increase Israel's overseas marketing budgets. The Tourism Ministry will initiate plans to encourage the continued marketing of Israel overseas and to increase activities designed to stimulate demand for travel to Israel while improving Israel's image as a safe tourism destination. In addition, the Ministry, together with representatives from the tourism industry, will operate plans to maintain and train personnel in the industry, alongside continued activities to stimulate domestic tourism.

Recently, the Tourism Minister asked tourism industry representatives to reevaluate and re-cost tourism packages to Israel and to offe particularly attractive packages in an additional effort to stimulate domestic and incoming tourism.

Tourism Minister Ruhama Avraham-Balila: "The tourism industry represents one of the most important growth engines in the Israeli economy and, with special and significant government assistance in marketing, we will successfully confront tough competition arising from the global economic crisis and return confidence in Israel as a safe tourism destination, following the campaign in Gaza. This investment will bring a swift contribution to the Israeli economy, both in terms of revenue generated by tourism and employment in the various industries."

(Courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)