Tourism to Israel at record-breaking levels with 4.1m visitors in 2018
Ministry confirms 14 percent increase in tourists to the Jewish state in 2018 up from the previous 12 months
International tourists have been visiting Israel at record levels in the last 12-months after official figures recorded a 14 percent increase in 2018 compared to 2017.
The Israel Ministry of Tourism confirmed a record-breaking year this week, with 4.1 million visitors arriving last year, mainly from the US, UK, France, Russia, Germany and Italy.
The figure represents a 14 percent increase on 2017 and a 42 percent increase on 2016, when tourism chiefs hailing a “revolution” in the way Israel is now seen as a top destination.
“We are optimistic about 2019, which begins with the opening of the new international airport at Timna, bringing new flights to Eilat,” said Tourism Ministry general-director Amir Halevi.
“What was considered a fantasy a few years ago is today a reality, that Israel is a preferred tourist destination among tourism destinations,” he said, adding that it was “part of a revolution in the way Israel is marketed”.
Music continues to be a big draw, with a Bon Jovi concert this summer expected to pull in large numbers and an international jazz festival in the resort city of Eilat next month attracting a dedicated following.
Israel’s history also continues to capture the imagination, with CNN recently listing Jaffa as a top tourist destination for 2019, as visitors were seemingly not put off by a year of conflict on the Gaza border.
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