We know that Israel had a record breaking month in October with some 330,000 visitors, which is impressive stuff, but did you know that the country sending the most tourists to the Holy Land is no longer the United States? Oh yes, the Russians have well and truly landed!
I can remember when I first arrived in Israel, there was an influx of Russian immigrants. Every time a plane roared overhead, coming in to land at Ben Gurion airport, my then girlfriend would always scream out jokily “The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!”.
Well, it might have taken a few years, but the Russians really are coming! October 2009 saw the Russians surpass the United States in tourist numbers, with some 58,243 tourists visiting the Holy Land, an 18% increase on the same month last year. The Americans are still in the running, with some 49,321 tourists, but their overall rate for the year is down on last year some 12%.
Admittedly, a quarter of all Russian tourists are here for a day trip only, either flying in from Turkey or arriving in Eilat directly from Moscow or St Petersburg. Talking of Eilat, some 60,000 Russian tourists are expected to hit the Red Sea this winter via flights from the Aeroflot, Arkia and Sun d’Or airlines. My money is on most of those heading straight up to the Dead Sea, where Russian visitors are known to splash the mud on and book themselves in to the local spas.
Just for a quick recap, from 2006 to 2007 the number of Russian tourists to Israel actually tripled, to some 200,000. In 2008, numbers reached an impressive 360,000. At the current rate, well over half a million Russians will have visited Israel this year. Very nice going, within 3 short years.
We say bring on the Russian invasion! And to all our Russian visitors: Добро пожаловать в Израиль!