Many Jews who enter the country on a tourist visa own properties in Israel, and they travel back and forth from Israel to Europe 3+ times a year. Considering such people as 'tourists' is incorrect and including them in the pool makes the analysis biased.

When will Israeli mafia learn that everybody knows worth their shananigans? Maxim Mesezhnicov moved Israel tourism in the past 4 years from 6 digits or less into a 7 digits industry. While denied state support and funding of such key promotion events as Opera staging in Masada. Give him 4 more years and he will grow it by another 0 on the right. The Masada events alone will give Israel tourism an order of magnitude growth without much stretching. And you don't need traditional brick like hotels to do that. They'll take bedoin tents with sewer, garbage collection, and good enough food. As far as rockets... everybody knows that Hamas won't drop a speck of dust on Eilat, just like IAF didn't lower a look on Gaza seaside resorts. Everyone knows what this is all about. I am very sorry Israel is stack with the Yahoo in PM seat. And to top it all, with a few more Iron Domes we wouldn't even have to know that there was some freaking "pillaw".

For many years the IHA complains about their losses and lck of bed nights. When it is cheaper for an Israeli to take his family overseas instead of holidaying at home what do they expect?. Lower the prices to those of other countries and they would be a big increase in tourist nights from home as well as abroad!

The real contributing factor is that Israel is stuffed with private accommodations and they are much nicer than hotels. Anybody checking craigslist, Israel Associate of Bed and Breakfasts, Trip Advisor, etc will find oodles of excellent home stays where Israelis host. It is the best way to visit.