And they keep coming!
Despite the economic crisis that has gripped the world, the number of tourists coming to Israel has reached record heights. The Tourist Ministry’s target of 2.8 million visitors in 2008 may have seemed optimistic at the start of the year, but with the Christmas season and the influx of Christian pilgrims expected, this target is about to be broken.
The number of tourists arriving by air to Israel has increased by 25% since the start of the year, 31% more than 2007, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. While Globes Online reports that during September 2008, 1.07 million passengers passed through Ben Gurion International Airport, 9.3% more than in the corresponding month last year.
Israel carriers flew about 400,000 passengers during September representing about 38.9% of all travelers, a rise of 4.2% compared with last year.Internal flights at the airport have also seen a big increase in demand with a 16% rise in traffic compared to September 2007.
1.7 million tourists visited Israel from January to July 2008, nearly double the numbers over the same period in 2007. This dramatic increase suggests that the Tourism Ministry is well on the way to reaching its target of 2.8 million tourists in 2008, a record year indeed for Israeli tourism.
Isn’t it time you joined the party?