Taken from tourism campaign
Tourism campaign targets locals
Ministry wants to take advantage of 'window of opportunity' afforded by recent disdain for Turkey
The Tourism Ministry plans to launch a new campaign this week aimed at Israelis, under the title: 'Especially now, vacation in Israel'.
The ministry is determined to take advantage of the window of opportunity created by the recent disdain for Turkish politics in order to encourage local tourism, by enlightening people on the many activities, festivals, and guided tours set to take place in Israel throughout the summer.
The campaign, which has racked up costs of over $25,000, is scheduled to air on the radio Tuesday. The ads will be accompanied by hundreds of billboards throughout the country.
The various adverts will direct people to a Tourism Ministry webpage with links to relevant sites, including the Travel Agents Association, the Hotel Association, the Nature and Parks Authority, and others.
In the coming days officials from the ministry plan to end a round of meetings with the various organizations involved, which were aimed at creating a variety of tourist attractions for people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds.
"Israel is a tourist attraction for many people from countries around the world, who have chosen Israel and are expected to visit it this summer," said Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov. "It should also be the preferred destination for as many Israelis as possible."
A local tourism survey held in 2010 by the Geocartography Group for the Tourism Ministry found that 52% of those polled have vacationed in Israel over the past year, but just 35% vacationed only in Israel.
The poll, conducted among 800 people 18 or older, also found that 57% had a vacation aimed at rest, 22% went on an active vacation of some sort, and 11% chose a country-side vacation. The average vacation time was 2-3 nights, and 90% expressed satisfaction.
