Number of Tourists to Israel Reaches 373,000 in First Quarter; Exceeds Expectations and Paves Way…

According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Tourism, first quarter tourist arrivals jumped 25 per cent over the same period last year. Significant increases in tourist traffic were registered from Britain, Germany, the U.S., France, Italy and other countries. “The rise in tourist numbers would be even more impressive if an ‘open skies’ policy were implemented,” says Tourism Minister Abraham Hirchson. The ministry’s encouragement of charter flights and overseas marketing campaign are working.” According to CBI and Ministry of Tourism statistics, 91,400 tourists entered Israel from the United States in the first quarter of 2005, a 25 per cent increase over the same period last year. 32,600 arrived from Britain, a nine per cent rise. Other increases were registered from Germany (22,000 tourists, a 47 per cent rise), France (58,000 tourists, a 25 per cent rise) and Italy (11,300 tourists arrived, a 42 per cent increase). Ten thousand Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Finnish visitors entered Israel, jumping 31 per cent; 8,100 tourists entered the country from Korea, one quarter more than during 2004 and 58 per cent more than in 2000. Thanks to the resumption of charter flights and an agreement between the Ministry of Tourism and tourism operator Genesis, the number of tourists from Portugal leaped 114 per cent. Tourism Minister Abraham Hirchson noted that more tourists visited Israel in spite of high airfares and a lack of seats. An ‘open skies’ policy would alleviate such problems, he said. BPI-info