Wüstenschiff

ISRAEL: TOURISM UP POST WAR, PILGRIMS BACK
18.08.2009 - ANSAmed

JERUSALEM - According to the Israeli Ministry for Tourism, Israel is seeing signs of recovery in its tourism industry, which had suffered particularly badly from the collapse in the number of pilgrims visiting the Holy Land due to the combined effects of the war in the Gaza Strip (December 2008 - January 2009) and the global financial crisis. The ministry reveals that in July, 252 000 tourists visited Israel, only 4% less than in 2008, and an the increase (+17%) on the same time in 2007. In total, from the start of 2009, there have been 1.4 million visitors, with an 18% drop on last year which has gradually been cancelled out in the last few months. Stas Misezhnikov, Minister for Tourism, spoke of a change in the overall trend, while admitting that reaching the ambitious objective fixed by his office (of 5 million tourists by 2015, in a country of less than 7.5 million inhabitants) will mean that huge increases in hotel facilities are necessary, as is facilitating investment. The recovery of tourism in recent months is based largely on a renewed increase in pilgrimages, partly brought on by Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Holy Land in May ... mehr

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