2008 was a great year for Israel, with tourists once again embracing the Holy Land – in fact, a record 3 million tourists visited Israel in 2008!
OK, so the year ended with another dark few days in Gaza which has continued into 2009, and which looks set to have some influence over tourism for some months to come. But let’s hope that this latest episode comes to a quick conclusion and things get back to normal. Whatever “normal” means in this part of the world.
These record breaking numbers are incredible when you consider the economic crisis that has gripped the world the last few months. The numbers look set to continue to impress once the crisis in Gaza is over, although tourist officials in Israel believe that the record numbers experienced in 2008 won’t happen in 2009. They also believe that it may prove harder to get these numbers back again without an intensive advertising campaign.
The Tourism Minister Avraham-Balila had this to say:
With special and significant government assistance in marketing, we will successfully confront tough competition arising from the global economic crisis and return confidence in Israel as a safe tourism destination, following the campaign in Gaza. This investment will bring a swift contribution to the Israeli economy, both in terms of revenue generated by tourism and employment in the various industries.
Anyway, 2009 looks set to be an interesting year. Elections loom in February, of course, but that shouldn’t make much difference to your intended trip to Israel. There are, of course, all the usual attractions in the Holy Land to visit, but we’ve singled out three of the more interesting events set to take place in 2009:
- Pope Benedict XVI is scheduled to visit in May. Bless his little papal red shoes, this should keep Israel in the news headlines, and for the right reasons…
- Tel Aviv celebrates its centenary. The City That Never Sleeps is 100 and is set to party throughout the year. We’ll keep you updated with the best of the events.
- Depeche Mode are scheduled to perform in May. After their last minute cancellation in 2006, thanks to the Second Lebanon War, the lads from Basildon are set to open their world tour in the Holy Land.
So, we may be 3 weeks into the year already, but 2009 has a lot to offer. I’m sure as the year rolls along, there’ll be plenty of other great events scheduled, including some other great musicians/bands. We hope you make it over here to enjoy some of it too!