The year 2017 was a record year for incoming tourism, with some 3.6 million tourists, Tourism Minister Yariv Levin told the government cabinet meeting on Sunday; but he added it wasn’t a fluke.
“The all-time record number of tourists visiting Israel this year is no accident; it is the result of a clear policy,” Levin said.
The ministry opened new collaborations with large international online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Expedia and TripAdvisor. Airlines were encouraged to open new routes, and indeed, 18 new routes are now operating into Ben Gurion International Airport with financial support from the Tourism Ministry, including Hainan Airlines, Lot, Ryanair, Wizz Air and WOW.
The number of tourists visiting Israel increased by 700,000, setting a new record for incoming tourism to Israel. The new record has also meant a boost to the economy of NIS 20 billion (about $6 billion), he said.
A new route opened from Shanghai and there was a 46 percent increase in tourism from China over 2016, with a 139 percent increase over 2015.
More to the point, 91 percent of the tourists who came, ranked their visit to the Jewish State as “very good,” or “excellent.”
Christian tourists were by far the most active, comprising 54 percent of arrivals (25 percent visited as pilgrims); 21.7 percent were Jewish visitors and the rest were comprised of other religions and non-affiliated tourists. The leading source countries for incoming tourism included the United States, Russia, France, Germany and UK.
The most visited sites in Israel, according to the ministry, were: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Dead Sea, Tiberias, Sea of Galilee area (Lake Kinneret) and the Galilee.