A NEW YEAR – NEW BLESSINGS

OVER 3.6 MILLION VISITORS CAME TO ISRAEL IN THE JEWISH YEAR 5771

MINISTER OF TOURISM, STAS MISEZHNIKOV: “DESPITE GEOPOLITICAL EVENTS, THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM HAS MET ITS TARGET – AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TOURISTS, ADDITIONAL JOB PLACEMENTS IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, AND BILLIONS OF NIS ADDED TO THE ISRAELI ECONOMY

LOOKING TOWARD 5772:

THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM IS PREPARING TO GREET OVER 300,000 TOURISTS OVER THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS WITH SURPRISE INSPECTIONS AT HOTELS AND TOURISM CENTERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY

Tourism to Israel continues to grow: According to the Ministry of Tourism, 3.6 million visitors came to Israel during the Jewish year 5771 – a 17% increase compared to the year 5770. Of those visitors, 3 million stayed for more than one night, a 21% increase compared to the year 5770. Over the course of the last year, the busiest tourism month was October, with 404,000 visits.

The most impressive increase over the last Jewish year belongs to the cruise ships, with 208,000 visitors, a 68% increase compared to the previous year, with only 124,000 visitors. Income from inbound tourism alone in 5771 was 14.3 billion NIS, 11.1% more compared to the year 5770 (13 billion NIS).

Leading the list in country of origin of visitors is the United States, with 630,000 visitors, a 19% increase as compared to the year 5770. Second is Russia with 560,000 visitors, a 25% increase as compared to the previous year, followed by France with 290,000 visitors, a 25% increase.

Minister of Tourism, Stas Misezhnikov, stated that despite regional events, the Ministry of Tourism has succeeded in maintaining and even increasing tourism traffic to Israel through enhanced and targeted marketing that will continue in the coming year. “Israel is a tourism challenge for every Israeli tourist and, of course, for foreign tourists. The upcoming holiday season is a wonderful time of year to travel, and I call upon everyone to get out, see the sites, learn about Israel’s heritage and history while taking care of the natural surroundings.”

The Ministry of Tourism has been preparing over the last few weeks to welcome over 300,000 tourists which are expected to visit Israel over the upcoming holiday season. Among other things, the Ministry of Tourism’s Inspections Department is checking hotel preparedness, as well as cleanliness at tourism sites and centers throughout the country in order to ensure a warm welcome and pleasant experience for both local and foreign travelers.

The Ministry of Tourism’s Information Offices in Jerusalem, Eilat, and Nazareth will operate on a regular schedule during the holidays. The office at Ben-Gurion International Airport will operate regularly throughout the holidays, 24/7.

(Courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)

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September 19, 2011

THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM PREPARES FOR AUTUMN: OVER 40 MILLION NIS TO BE INVESTED IN MARKETING ISRAEL ABROAD AS AN ATTRACTIVE TOURISM DESTINATION DURING THE MONTHS OF SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER.

MINISTER OF TOURISM, STAS MISEZHNIKOV:

“THE STABILITY OF INBOUND TOURISM, DESPITE REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL EVENTS, IS AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ANCHOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE ISRAELI ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT; DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR, INCOME FROM TOURISM INCREASED BY 15%.”

The Ministry of Tourism is increasing its marketing activities in preparation for the 2011 Autumn tourism season, with an investment of 40 million NIS. The goal of the campaign is to create continuity in marketing activities abroad, reaching out to potential tourists and increasing tourism traffic to Israel, while establishing Israel as an attractive and varied tourism destination. The campaign is part of the Ministry of Tourism’s 2011 work plan, with an annual budget of 260 million NIS for marketing activities.

Since the beginning of the year and to August, 2.2 million tourists have visited Israel, similar to the same period last year (-2%). Income from incoming tourism alone (not including domestic tourism or outgoing tourism), during the first half of the year has increased by 15% to 8.2 billion NIS (compared to 7.1 billion NIS for the same period last year and not including flights.

The 2011 Autumn campaign will include advertising in print media, billboards, tourism magazines, radio and television stations, as well as internet and social media. Advertising activities will focus on target countries for incoming tourism, headed by the United States, followed by Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Scandinavian countries, in conjunction with marketing activities in countries that have recently become interested in Israel, such as Poland and Brazil.

As part of the campaign, Israel will be presented as a tourism destination which, in addition to its positioning as the Holy Land with Jerusalem at its center, offers varied options including leisure and entertainment, for those seeking a religious, historical and cultural destination. The campaign will highlight sites in Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Tel Aviv and Eilat, as well as tourism centers in the Galilee and the Negev, while reaching out to different audiences, depending on interests – whether religious tourism or niche tourism such as health tourism, spa, extreme sports and more.

These marketing activities will be followed by local marketing efforts such as tourism fairs and seminars, public relations activities, recruiting new tourism wholesalers, expanding marketing activities at the local level, increasing flight capacities and more.

Minister of Tourism, Stas Misezhnikov, “The Autumn tourism season is an attractive time of year to travel to Israel, and the Ministry of Tourism’s offices abroad are working toward increasing demand to visit Israel. The stability of incoming tourism, despite economic and political events both regionally and internationally, presents an important economic anchor contributing to the Israeli economy both in income and employment.”

(Courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)

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September 12, 2011

LOOKING OUT AT THE WORLD:

THE INTERNATIONAL TOURISM EXHIBITION SEASON HAS OPENED; ISRAEL’S MINISTRY OF TOURISM WILL INVEST 12 MILLION NIS TO EXPOSE ISRAEL IN LEADING FAIRS AROUND THE WORLD. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, 2.2 MILLION VISITORS HAVE ENTERED ISRAEL – 1.9 MILLION FOR AN EXTENDED TRIP – A 3% INCREASE COMPARED TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR

In August, 271,000 visitors came to Israel, 3% less than the same period last year (279,000). According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 2.2 million visitors have entered Israel since the beginning of the year – a 2% decrease in comparison to the same period last year. 1.9 million visitors came as tourists – a 3% increase compared to the same period last year. There has also been an increase in cruise ship visits, bringing in 111,000 visitors since the beginning of the year, a 40% increase since last year. 300,000 visitors came in as day visitors – a 22% decrease compared to last year.

Minister of Tourism, Stas Misezhnikov: “The stability of tourism during this period in time is not to be seen lightly and has been achieved as a result of intensive and targeted activities of the Ministry of Tourism worldwide, in both source countries and developing markets. Within the coming months, the Israeli tourism industry, led by the Ministry of Tourism, will present itself at leading tourism exhibitions worldwide in order to send out the message that despite the events in the region, Israel is a safe tourism destination, attractive, eclectic and unique and the experience is unlike any in the world.”

The 2011-2012 international tourism exhibition season has recently begun, lasting until May. Tens of thousands of presenters, tourism industry representatives, journalists and the general public will attend such fairs worldwide. The Ministry of Tourism, together with representatives in Israel and abroad, will lead the presentation of Israel in the major fairs worldwide, including in France, Poland, Brazil, China, Singapore, Germany and England, and at local fairs, at a total investment of 12 million NIS.

The first such fair is the Top Resa, the main professional tourism fair in France, which will open next week, September 20th, in Paris for four days. Over 27,000 tourism professionals are expected to attend, as well as 1,200 exhibitors presenting 160 destinations worldwide. Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Noaz Bar-Nir, together with representatives from the ministry and the Israeli tourism industry, will meet in Paris with leading tourism wholesalers and airline representatives.

For the first time, the Ministry of Tourism will host in their booth an Israeli chef, Michael Katz from Jerusalem, the main chef of the restaurant group, “Adom,” cooking-up and presenting various Israeli goods such as citrus fruits and dried fruits, tahini, date honey, olive oil and more, in order to give an introduction to Israeli culinary and presenting Israel as an attractive and eclectic destination.

France is third in the number of tourists that come to Israel, following the United States and Russia. Over the first seven months of the year, over 165,000 tourists came to Israel from France. The exhibition in France is a continuation of the efforts of the Israel Government Tourism Office in France which works with the local tourism industry, decision makers and media in order attract tourists to Israel.

(Courtesy of Israel Ministry of Tourism)

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September 6, 2011

HIGH DEMAND FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOTELS

THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM RECEIVED 30 GRANT REQUESTS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF 3,600 HOTEL ROOMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AT A COST OF 2.4 BILLION NIS; 18 REQUESTS HAVE MET THE REQUIREMENTS; SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF REQUESTS FOR INVESTMENT IN JERUSALEM

The Ministry of Tourism continues to prepare for an increase in inbound tourism in the coming years. Over the last few days the Ministry of Tourism has completed reviewing requests submitted for grants to construct or expand hotels has part of the Law for the Encouragement of Capital Investments. 18 requests have met the requirements at this point and will be reviewed further within the coming weeks. Grants will then be distributed according to the law and to the Ministry’s guidelines.

The Ministry of Tourism received 30 requests to construct new hotels or to expand existing ones, totaling 3,600 new hotel rooms at a cost of 2.4 billion NIS. Most of the requests were for hotels in Jerusalem, in the area surrounding the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, the Galilee, Tiberias, Haifa and more.

In 2010, the Ministry of Tourism supported entrepreneurs with grants totaling 250 million NIS (part of a total investment of 1.2 billion NIS). Throughout 2011, the Ministry of Tourism is assisting with the planning and construction of 3,000 hotel rooms.

Due to the severe lack in hotel rooms in Jerusalem which hosts 80% of incoming tourists annually, preference is being given for projects in Jerusalem. Nevertheless, due to the high demand for construction in the city relative to the available budgets, the Ministry may have to rate the requests according to certain criteria and parameters.

Minister of Tourism, Stas Misezhnikov, stated that the many requests received from within Israel and abroad, highlight the great interest international entrepreneurs and companies have in the Israeli hotel industry. “This is recognition of the growth in the Israeli tourism industry, and a sign of trust in the work plans and processes led by the Ministry of Tourism.”

(Courtesy of the GPO)

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MINISTER OF TOURISM STAS MISEZHNIKOV LEFT YESTERDAY FOR ROUND OF MEETINGS IN INDIA, HOPING TO STRENGTHEN TOURISM RELATIONS. THIS IS THE FIRST VISIT OF AN ISRAELI TOURISM MINISTER TO INDIA IN NEARLY 20 YEARS; THE MINISTER IS BEING ACCOMPANIED BY SENIOR OFFICIALS FROM THE MINISTRY AS WELL AS LEADING BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ISRAELI TOURISM INDUSTRY

Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov set out yesterday for a round of meetings with ministers and leading industry officials in India’s tourism industry. This is the first time since 1993 that an Israeli tourism minister has visited India, the year that a tourism agreement was signed between the countries.

During the visit, the Minister will meet with Indian Tourism Minister Subdoh Kant Sahai in Delhi, in order to discuss tourism traffic between Israel and India, tourism opportunities, and the increase in tourism from India over the last few years.

Minister Misezhnikov is expected to meet with the Indian Aviation Minister and the CEO of “Air India” in order to discuss the aviation rights of the Indian company to Israel. “Air India” is the only Indian airline that has the right to fly to Israel but has yet to open up a route to Israel. Opening up the route to Israel could significantly increase tourism from India to Israel.

The Minister is being accompanied by the Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Noaz Bar-Nir, and officials from the Ministry of Tourism Marketing Administration. In addition, representatives from the tourism industry will join the delegation, including CEO of Arkia, Gadi Teffer, El-Al Asia Manager, Yair Barbie, CEO of Dan Hotels, Ami Federmann and others. The delegation will join the Minister’s meetings with the airlines, tourism agents, and other leading tourism operations that work with Israel.

Throughout the one week visit, the Minister will meet with members of the Jewish community in Delhi and Mumbai, including the Chabad House. In addition, Minister Misezhnikov will meet with members of the Christian community and will take part in a series of interviews with print media and with various Indian television stations.

In 2010, over 40,000 tourists from India visited Israel, nearly double the number in 2009, and is considered the number one source country for incoming tourism from Asia. From the beginning of 2011 through July, over 22,000 tourists from India entered Israel. The Ministry of Tourism has placed India as a leading target in Asia.

Minister of Tourism, Stas Misezhnikov: “India is a new and developing market that has increasingly begun to visit Israel, and the massive potential of this market has yet to be realized. Most of the potential tourists from India have yet to be exposed to the possibility of visiting Israel; we will continue to expand our contacts with officials from the local tourism industry in order to meet the potential for the Israeli market, while placing India at the center of the Ministry of Tourism’s activities in Asia.”

(Courtesy of the GPO)