May 2011
May 25, 2011
DIRECTOR OF POPULATION, IMMIGRATION AND BORDER AUTHORITY: DRAMATIC INCREASE IN NUMBER OF TOURISTS ARRIVING ON SHIPS AND CRUISE SHIPS
WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF ENCOURAGING INCOMING TOURISM TO ISRAEL, THE POPULATION, IMMIGRATION AND BORDER AUTHORITY WILL DEAL WITH ONE-DAY CRUISE TOURISTS ARRIVING AT ISRAELI PORTS AS WELL AS ONE-DAY TOURISTS ARRIVING AT THE LAND CROSSINGS.
In June 2011, 37 passenger and cruise ships are expected to anchor in Ashdod and Haifa, bringing with them an estimated 50,000 tourists and crew. The number of cruise ships arriving in Israel in recent years has increased significantly and this trend is expected to increase. The ships dock in Ashdod, Haifa and Eilat for an average of three days. The passengers and crew members spend, on average, $150 a day. In 2010, 169,200 cruise visitors arrived in Israel – 2.5 times more than in 2009. 68,000 cruise visitors have arrived in Israel in the period January – April 2011, 37% more than the same period last year.
Population, Immigration and Border Authority Director-General Amnon Ben-Ami: “There is no doubt that the transfer of border inspections to the authority improves our ability to deal with the many tourists arriving in Israel. We are ready to provide fast quality service to every tourist who arrives at our stands, be it at the land, air or sea crossings.”
Tourism Ministry Director-General Noaz Bar-Nir thanked the Population Authority for its excellent and fast inspections at the border crossings and for cruise tourists, noting that, "The decision taken by cruise operators to dock in Israel is an expression of confidence in the safety and attractiveness of Israeli tourism. Nonetheless, if one wants to maintain and even grow this tourism which exposes visitors to the tourism sites and improves Israel’s image overseas, the high docking fees should be reduced.”
In the coming days, Bar-Nir will contact the Director-Generals of the Finance and Transport Ministries in order to review canceling the recent increase of hundreds of percent in the docking fee and returning to the previous tariffs that are similar to those levied in ports in Europe and other Middle East countries.
(Courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)
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May 11, 2011
OVER ONE MILLION VISITORS VISITED ISRAEL JAN-APRIL 2011
– 2% LESS THAN THE SAME PERIOD IN 2010;
AN INCREASE OF 4% IN THE NUMBER OF TOURISTS
IN APRIL, 300,000 VISITORS ARRIVED, 6% LESS THAN APRIL 2010
TOURISM MINISTER STAS MISEZHNIKOV: IN THE SHADOW OF THE GEO-POLITICAL SITUATION, INCREASED MARKETING ACTIVITIES HAVE SUCCEEDED IN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF INCOMING TOURISTS AND, AS A RESULT, REVENUE FROM TOURISM IN
JAN-APRIL HAS GROWN TO $940 MILLION, 3% MORE THAN SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR
About 900,000 tourists visited Israel in the period January-April 2011 – 4% more than the same period last year. In total, 1,040,000 visitors arrived in Israel (including day visitors and cruise passengers), 2% less than the same period last year. 300,000 visitors arrived in Israel during April (6% less than last April and 18% more than April 2009). Of these, 260,000 were tourists (decrease of 3%).
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 226,000 of the tourists arrived by air (6% more than in 2010), of whom 11,000 were tourists arriving on direct flights to Eilat and Ovda for vacation purposes (an impressive increase of 77% more than April 2010). 38,000 were day-visitors, of whom 20,000 arrived on cruise ships (double the number for April 2010).
Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov: “The Tourism Ministry must contend with the geopolitical situation in the region that is influencing incoming tourism into Israel as well. In recent weeks, the ministry initiated several marketing activities to increase demand for tourism to Israel and will continue with these activities over the coming months. Marketing activities have succeeded in increasing the number of incoming tourists who stay more than one night in Israel and, as a result, tourism’s percentage of the GDP has grown – revenue from tourism in the period January through April has grown to $940 million, 3% more than the same period last year.”
The minister added that ‘because of the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and the Hamas, the Tourism Ministry is working to ensure a continuation of the tourism cooperation and continued access to the holy sites and places that are located within the Palestinian Authority.’
(Courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)
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May 8, 2011
THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT TODAY APPROVED THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE TOURISM MINISTER TO PROMOTE THE CANDIDACY OF THE DEAD SEA IN THE NEW7WONDERS OF NATURE CAMPAIGN
TOURISM MINISTER STAS MISEZHNIKOV: “THERE IS ENORMOUS SIGNIFICANCE IN BOTH ECONOMIC AND IMAGE TERMS SHOULD THE DEAD SEA WIN AN INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN WITH OVER ONE BILLION VOTERS; IN THE SIX MONTHS THAT REMAIN UNTIL THE END OF THE CAMPAIGN, THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT WILL WORK TOGETHER TO PROMOTE THE DEAD SEA WIN”
As part of the activities to promote the Dead Sea’s candidacy in the campaign, which ends on 11.11.11, the Tourism Minister recommended the establishment of a steering committee headed by the Tourism Ministry Director-General Noaz Bar-Nir and with the participation of representatives from the relevant government ministries, which will initiate and implement activities to promote the selection of the Dead Sea. NIS 8.75 million would be allocated to marketing the campaign in Israel and overseas (with half the budget coming from the Tourism Ministry.
The selection of the Dead Sea as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature is expected to have significant social and economic consequences; primarily an increase in the numbers of tourists visiting Israel in general and the Dead Sea in particular; increased job opportunities for residents of the Negev, higher income from tourism and the economic development of the area. It should be noted that this decision is consistent with the government’s decision to promote the periphery, with all that entails.
Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov: “There is enormous significance in both economic and image terms for the State of Israel should the Dead Sea win an international campaign with over one billion voters. The Israeli government should work together to promote the Dead Sea win in the six months that remain until the end of the campaign.”
According to estimates, the Dead Sea – which is sponsored jointly in the campaign by Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority – needs between 300-400 million votes in order to secure a place as one of the seven finalists. The New7Wonders Foundation, which initiated the campaign, expects about a billion people to vote by the close of the campaign on 11.11.11.
The Dead Sea - the lowest place on earth, the saltiest lake in the world and a unique geological area rich in history, religion and health attributes - was selected from 420 natural sites around the world and is considered to be a favorite. Competitors among the 28 finalists include the Amazon River, the Galapagos Islands, the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef and the Maldives.
The Tourism Ministry, the official Supporting Committee for the Dead Sea, is promoting the Dead Sea voting via its 11 offices overseas, dedicated websites in 8 languages (www.votedeadsea.com and www.goisrael.com) , at tourism fairs and in a multi-faceted international marketing campaign that includes social media: (http://www.facebook.com/#!/VoteDeadSea; http://twitter.com/votedeadsea; http://www.youtube.com/user/VoteDeadSea
In addition, the ministry is promoting cooperation with opinion-formers in Israel and overseas, as well as with Jewish and Christian communities around the world.
(Courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)
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May 5, 2011
Tourists discover Israel's Negev desert
History and scenery come together for visitors to Israel’s Negev
Israel’s Negev Desert accounts for more than 55 percent of Israel’s land, but only about 8% of its population. Here, among spectacular desert vistas, you can find an increasing number of unique tourist accommodations.
Along the ancient Spice Route, for example, a unique desert B&B offers visitors individual cabins with small private pools and wine made on site. Its name, Carmey Avdat (Vineyards of Avdat) Farm (http://www.carmey-avdat.co.il/?lat=en), draws on Avdat, an important ancient Nabatean city. Several grape-pressing areas, a farm and churches were uncovered by archeologists at this site.
Isrotel Beresheet (Genesis) (http://www.luxury-hotels-israel.com/israel-hotels/beresheet-hotel), a new luxury hotel opening this spring, is located on a cliff above Machtesh (Crater) Ramon, a landform unique to the Negev and Sinai deserts. The largest natural crater in the world at 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) long and 10 kilometers (a bit more than six miles) wide, the Ramon formed when soft rocks buried under hard surface rocks eroded, causing the hard upper layers to collapse in the shape of a heart.
(Courtesy of the MFA Newsletter)
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