North: Guesthouses standing empty
Tourism industry officials in northern Israel report sharp drop in reservations this summer as result of economic crisis
The economic recession has caused a 45% decrease in guesthouse occupancy in northern Israel, regional tourism industry officials reported this week.
Moshe Zarhi of Moshav Amirim, chairman of the Moshavim Movement's Tourism Council, said: "In a normal summer we see 70% occupancy in July and 100% occupancy throughout August. This year there has been a sharp drop in reservations and there are vacant rooms in August, which is unprecedented.
"The main decrease was noted among couples, who gave up romantic weekends in the north, and among religious and ultra-Orthodox families," he added.
Head of the Economic and business Development Department of the Moshavim Movement, Yogev Sarid, said that increasing the number of stays of tourists from abroad in Moshavim was one of the department's main goals for the coming years.
"We believe that staying in a non-urban environment can give the tourist an enriching experience in Israel," he said, adding that a large part of moshavim are located near Christian sites in the north.
The movement's Secretary General Eitan Ben David said that tourism was one of the moshavim's most important sources of income, especially in light of the drop in the profitability of agriculture.
"We hope that the drop in occupancy is only temporary, and we call on all Israelis to come to the moshavim and enjoy the experience of staying in a different atmosphere, with various activities that allow visitors to come in touch with nature," he concluded.
