LOOKING OUT AT THE WORLD:THE INTERNATIONAL TOURISM EXHIBITION SEASON HAS OPENED;ISRAEL’S MINISTRY OF TOURISM WILL INVEST 12 MILLIONNISTO EXPOSEISRAELIN LEADING FAIRS AROUND THE WORLD. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, 2.2 MILLION VISITORS HAVE ENTEREDISRAEL– 1.9 MILLION FOR AN EXTENDED TRIP – A 3% INCREASE COMPARED TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR
In August, 271,000 visitors came toIsrael, 3% less than the same period last year (279,000). According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 2.2 million visitors have enteredIsraelsince the beginning of the year – a 2% decrease in comparison to the same period last year. 1.9 million visitors came as tourists – a 3% increase compared to the same period last year. There has also been an increase in cruise ship visits, bringing in 111,000 visitors since the beginning of the year, a 40% increase since last year. 300,000 visitors came in as day visitors – a 22% decrease compared to last year.
Minister of Tourism, Stas Misezhnikov: “The stability of tourism during this period in time is not to be seen lightly and has been achieved as a result of intensive and targeted activities of the Ministry of Tourism worldwide, in both source countries and developing markets. Within the coming months, the Israeli tourism industry, led by the Ministry of Tourism, will present itself at leading tourism exhibitions worldwide in order to send out the message that despite the events in the region,Israelis a safe tourism destination, attractive, eclectic and unique and the experience is unlike any in the world.”
The 2011-2012 international tourism exhibition season has recently begun, lasting until May. Tens of thousands of presenters, tourism industry representatives, journalists and the general public will attend such fairs worldwide. The Ministry of Tourism, together with representatives inIsraeland abroad, will lead the presentation ofIsraelin the major fairs worldwide, including inFrance,Poland,Brazil,China,Singapore,GermanyandEngland, and at local fairs, at a total investment of 12 millionNIS.
The first such fair is the Top Resa, the main professional tourism fair in France, which will open next week, September 20th, inParis for four days. Over 27,000 tourism professionals are expected to attend, as well as 1,200 exhibitors presenting 160 destinations worldwide. Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, Noaz Bar-Nir, together with representatives from the ministry and the Israeli tourism industry, will meet inParis with leading tourism wholesalers and airline representatives.
For the first time, the Ministry of Tourism will host in their booth an Israeli chef, Michael Katz from Jerusalem, the main chef of the restaurant group, “Adom,” cooking-up and presenting various Israeli goods such as citrus fruits and dried fruits, tahini, date honey, olive oil and more, in order to give an introduction to Israeli culinary and presenting Israel as an attractive and eclectic destination.
Franceis third in the number of tourists that come toIsrael, following theUnited StatesandRussia. Over the first seven months of the year, over 165,000 tourists came toIsraelfromFrance. The exhibition inFranceis a continuation of the efforts of the Israel Government Tourism Office inFrancewhich works with the local tourism industry, decision makers and media in order attract tourists toIsrael.
