TOURISM IN ISRAEL 2009 – AN OVERVIEW

2.7 million visitors arrived in Israel in 2009, 11% less than 2008 but more than any other year, including the year 2000.

Tourism by mode of travel

Out of 2.7 million visitors, 2 million arrived by air (72%) and about 350,000 came through the land borders (13%), 72,000 came on cruise ships by sea and another 340,000 were one day visitors (mainly tourists from Russia, Poland, Czech Republic and Ukraine).

Tourism by Country of Origin (visitors, including day visitors)

As in previous years, tourism from the USA continued to represent the largest country of origin for incoming tourism to Israel, with 550,000 visitors arriving from this country in 2008, representing 21% of all incoming tourism and a decrease of 11%. Tourism from Russia was in second place, with 400,000 visitors (15% of all incoming tourism), 12% more than last year. 31% of these tourists were day visitors. Tourism from France takes third place, with about 260,000 visitors, followed by the United Kingdom with about 170,000. Tourism from Germany is in fifth place, with 145,000 visitors, 2% more than in 2008. Other countries worthy of note: Italy, Poland and Ukraine (half of them day visitors), Canada and Spain.

Characteristics of Incoming Tourism

39% of all incoming tourists were Jewish, 54% Christian and the remainder either from other religions or with no religious affiliation. 45% of tourists in 2009 were visiting Israel for the first time, whereas 55% had previously visited the country. 24% defined the purpose of their visit for holiday and leisure, 31% for pilgrimage and another 6% for touring and sight seeing. A total of 61% of visitors defined the purpose of their visit as tourism. 25% came to Israel to visit friends and relatives and 12% came on business.

32% arrived as part of an organized tour, 29% as part of a package tour and 39% traveled independently. 

Average Length of Stay

The average length of stay for tourists has gradually reduced from 10 nights to 9 nights on average from the year 2000 to 2009 (for tourists staying up to one month within the framework of their visit) The average stay for all tourists decreased sharply from 22 nights on average at the beginning of the year 2000 to 12 nights in 2009.

Visiting Sites/Cities

Jerusalem is the city most visited by incoming tourists in Israel, (74% of all tourists). Tel Aviv-Jaffa holds second place with 56% of all tourists having visited and in third place, the Dead Sea area with 45%. Tiberias and the Galilee region holds fourth place with 39% of all tourists.

The most visited sites include the Western Wall (74%), the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem (66%), Mount of Olives (54%), the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (53%) and the Via Dolorosa (51%)

Tourist Expenditure in Israel

The average tourist expenditure in Israel in 2009 stands at $1083, including monies spent overseas (average daily expenditure is about $100, according to the following split:

•           Hotels/accommodation 37% - about $400

•           Food and beverages 17% - about $180

•           Transportation, organized tours and car rental 17% - about $180

•           Shopping 15% - about $170

•           Miscellaneous (entertainment, communications, donations, gifts, registration fees for conferences etc) 14% - about $150

Domestic Tourism

About 15.7 million domestic overnight stays were registered in 2009 in all the various types of accommodation (an average of 2.3 nights per vacation – that is 6.8 million Israeli vacations), 3% higher than the year 2008. The increase was mainly registered in hotels. There was no change registered in youth hostels, field schools and rural tourism. A decrease of 5% in 2009 (as compared to 2008) was registered in Israelis traveling overseas with a similar decrease in Israeli flying overseas (5%).

Tourism's contribution to the Israeli economy

Revenue from incoming tourism in 2009 totals about $3.3 billion or 13 billion shekel (including income from Israeli aviation companies from incoming tourism), Revenue from domestic tourism in 2009 stands at about 10.5 billion shekel. Total direct output from tourism in 2009 is estimated at about 23.5 billion shekel, 2% less than in 2008 (the decrease in dollar income from incoming tourism is partially offset by the increase in the dollar exchange rate).

Employees in tourism

The number of employees in the Israeli economy as a result of tourism activities stands at 88,800, 2% less than 2008. Of these, about 30,000 are employed in the hotel industry (including those employed via human resources companies), a figure similar to last year. The remainder is employed in related industries such as restaurants, cafes, stores, transportation etc.

Hotels

During 2009, 337 hotels operated in Israel with a total of about 45,000 rooms.

69 hotels with 9,000 rooms operated in Jerusalem, 50 hotels with 11,000 rooms in Eilat, 49 hotels with 6,000 rooms in the Tel Aviv area, 15 hotels in the Dead Sea area with over 4,000 rooms and 45 hotels with 6,000 rooms in the Tiberias and Sea of Galilee area.

20 million person nights were registered in these hotels through 2009, 7% less than in 2008. About 40% of these were from incoming tourists (8 million, a decrease of 20% on 2008). About 12 million person nights (53% of the total) were from Israelis, an increase of 4% on 2008.

(Courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism)

_______________________________

November 17, 2009

RECORD OCTOBER HIGH FOR INCOMING TOURISM:

330,000 TOURISTS VISITED ISRAEL, 9% INCREASE ON OCTOBER 2008.

2.3 MILLION TOURISTS VISITED ISRAEL JAN-OCT 2009; SAME NUMBER AS TOTAL VISITORS FOR 2007 AND ONLY 12% LESS THAN 2008

TOURISM MINISTER STAS MISEZHNIKOV: "THE CHANGE IN THE NEGATIVE TREND, THE FIRST SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WAS MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE CORRECT POSITIONING OF ISRAEL AS THE HOLY LAND WITH JERUSALEM AT ITS CENTER AND THE FOCUS OF MARKETING EFFORTS ACCORDING TO TARGET AUDIENCES THAT WILL LEAD TO A REALIZATION OF THE REVOLUTION IN TOURISM THAT CENTERS ON AN ADDITIONAL MILLION TOURISTS WITHIN THREE YEARS."

For the first time in 2009 – an increase in incoming tourism: 330,000 tourists visited Israel in October, an all-time high for October and a 9% increase over October 2008, Israel's record tourism year.

2.3 million tourists visited Israel Jan-October 2009, only 12% less than the same period last year (2.6 million). This is also the total number of tourists who visited Israel in all of 2007(20% more than the same period in 2007).

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov, who is currently on the first official visit of an Israeli Tourism Minister to Brazil for a decade, noted that "these figures are a result of focused marketing, target audience segmentation and the creation of an infrastructure for marketing continuity worldwide, in line with Israel's new positioning as the Holy Land with Jerusalem at its center."

Misezhnikov added that, even though the data is encouraging, it is not yet satisfactory and the ministry will continue to work to realize a revolution in tourism, as declared during last week's Herzliya Conference on Tourism, with the central platform being an additional million incoming tourists within the next three years.

The minister noted that the implementation of the program will include increased marketing overseas, the addition of hotel rooms of varying standards and easing the bureaucratic process that currently prevents the realization of this potential. "Within just three years, the tourism industry is capable of injecting more than a billion dollars into the state coffers and adding another 40,000 jobs in tourism, with the emphasis on the periphery. The success of the Tourism Ministry together with the tourism industry in general in overcoming the effects of the global economic crisis and the Gaza operation will help meet these targets."

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, there was an increase of 6% in the number of tourists staying at least one night in Israel compared to Oct.2008 and a 20% increase in day visitors. 23,500 tourists visited on cruise ships, 20% more than last October.