February sets new record in incoming tourism
Some 244,000 visitors entered Israel last month, 5% more than February 2013 and an all-time record for the month.
Of these visitor entries, 221,500 were tourists (staying more than one night), 21% more than February 2013, and 11% and 12% more than February 2012 and 2011 - another all-time record for the month.
Some 191,000 entries were by air, 19% more than February 2013, of which 6,800 arrived on direct flights to Eilat (45% more than February 2013). About 31,000 tourists came through the border crossings, 34% more than February 2013; 22,000 came through the border with Jordan (36% increase) and about 8,000 through Taba to Eilat (30% more than last February).
Some 22,000 entries were recorded by day visitors, 55% less than February 2013. Of these, 7,000 arrived on cruise ships, 73% less than last February. (Last year, many cruise ships anchored in Eilat, less so this year).
About 13,000 day visitors arrived via the land crossings (a 33% decrease from last year) and about 1,600 by air (30% less than last year).
In January-February 2014, 473,000 visitors arrived in Israel – 5% more than the same period in 2013, 2% more than 2012 and 1% more than 2011. Of these, 421,000 were tourists, 20% more than 2013 and 8% more than 2011-2012.
Some 358,000 entries were by air, 18% more than the same period in 2013. About 51,000 day visitors came through the border crossings, of whom about half (14,000) arrived on cruise ships, 71% less that the same period in 2013. Some 34,000 came through the border with Jordan (a 25% decrease) and about 3,600 entries were by air (a 27% decrease).
"January and February were an excellent start to the tourism year 2014, following on from the record-breaking numbers of incoming tourists in 2013," said Tourism Minister Dr. Uzi Landau.
"We are working intensively to improve the quality of the tourism product, to effectively market Israel around the world and to strengthen domestic tourism so that 2014 will also close as a record year for tourism."
