Tourists at Dead Sea
צילום: רויטרס
Ministry: Incoming tourism recovering
Number of tourists visiting Israel in July only 4% less than same period last year, 17% more than July 2007. Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov: We'll work to add 2,500 hotel rooms all over county
Some 252,000 tourists entered Israel last month – a mere 4% drop compared to July 2008, in which 262,000 tourists came to Israel, and a 17% rise compared to July 2007, when 214,000 tourists visited.
Of the total number of entrances to Israel, 212,000 were of tourists spending at least one night in Israel, and 40,000 were of one-day visits, data published by the Tourism Ministry on Monday showed.
The ministry said it is preparing for the anticipated growth in tourism in the coming months, following the gradual recovery from the global economic crisis.
In light of the ministry's goal of 5 million tourists from 2015 and onward, Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov warned of a shortage in hotels rooms in the country.
"The existing amount of rooms in Israel, of all types, does not match the demands expected the resume and increase in the coming months and years," Misezhnikov said.
"Therefore, the Tourism Ministry will work to add some 2,500 hotel rooms, of different levels and in different areas around the country, within three years.
"At the same time, it will work to increase the budget for investment encouraging laws, the construction of hotels, localization and marketing of lots, simplifying the bureaucratic procedures and giving aid and grants to entrepreneurs."
The minister added that alongside increasing hotel room availability, the ministry is working to expand incoming flight capacity with from countries that already have aviation relations with Israel, and creating new ties with additional countries in order to realize Israel's tourism potential that is currently being blocked due to aviation limitations.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, from the start of 2009 to July some 1.4 million visitors entered Israel – 18% less than the same period last year and 16% more than the same period in 2007.
