Tens of thousands of Israelis took advantage of the first day of the Jewish New Year in order to tour the country's many national parks in the north and south, despite the rainfall that threatened to persist from the previous night.
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"The upper Galilee is hosting a lot of travelers this year," Uzi Brazilai, of the Nature and National Parks Protection Authority, told Ynet. "The Banias, Tel Dan, and the Snir (Hasbani) Rivers are full of tourists. Apparently people prefer the water sources despite the autumnal weather."
He added that "another hub is the Dead Sea. Ein Gedi and Masada are rather full, where there is generally a large amount of summer tourism. A third hub is the Caesarea beachfront, where crowds of coffee shop and restaurant-goers are gathering."
Brazilai also mentioned Eilat as a current tourist attraction. He predicted that the amount of travelers touring these sites would increase on Wednesday.
Cabins and guest houses in the north marked an occupation rate of 95% of the seasonal average. Some favored attractions include horseback riding, mini-tractor rides, bike-riding, and apple-picking.
Kibbutz Kfar Blum hosted thousands of people who came to kayak on the Jordan River from all over the country. Guy Yarmak, who manages the site, told Ynet the kibbutz was expecting a similar turnout on Wednesday. "We also offer a climbing wall and bow and arrow shooting," he said.
The south also saw its share of action, and Raviv Shapira, who heads the Parks Authority's southern
district, was hopeful. He described the Negev's main tourist attractions as Eshkol Park, Ein Gedi, Masada, Ein Ovdat, the Ramon Crater, and Har Hanegev.
"I think the lull in the security threat will contribute to the increase in travelers, who can feel free to rediscover the beauty of Israel's sites rather than vacationing abroad or in Eilat or Tiberias," he said.
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