Tourism to Israel in 2009 was slightly down on the record breaker that was 2008. Probably not a surprise considering the year kicked off with a full-out war in Gaza which did untold damage to Israeli tourism. It took a good few weeks, maybe even months, before tourists started flooding back. Here’s an interesting little summary of the year’s statistics…
How many tourists visited Israel?
2009 saw some 2.7 million visitors in Israel, which was 11% down on 2008. BUT it is still the second highest ever yearly total.
Where did they come from?
The Top 5…
- USA (550,000, which is 21% of all visitors)
- Russia (400,000, 15% of all visitors)
- France (260,000)
- UK (170,000)
- Germany (145,000)
Where did they visit in Israel?
- Jerusalem (74% of all tourists)
- Tel Aviv (56%)
- Dead Sea (45%)
- Tiberias and the Galilee (39%)
How did they arrive in Israel?
- Two million visitors (72%) came by air
- 350,000 (13%) came via Israel’s land borders
- 340,000 were one day visitors (largely from Russia, Poland, Czech Republic and Ukraine)
- 72,000 came via cruise ships
32% arrived as part of an organized tour, 29% as part of a package tour and 39% traveled independently.
Why did they visit Israel?
- 61% defined their visit as “tourism”
- 31% came on a pilgrimage to Israel
- 25% came to see family and friends
- 12% came on business
How long did they stay?
The average stay has decreased over the years; in 2000, tourists stayed for an average of 22 nights, while in 2009 it was down to 12 nights.
How much did they spend while in Israel?
On average, each tourist spent $1083 (a daily average of around$100). Here’s a breakdown of what they spent:
- Accommodation 37% – about $400
- Food and beverages 17% – about $180
- Transportation, organized tours and car rental 17% – about $180
- Shopping 15% – about $170
- Miscellaneous (entertainment, communications, donations, gifts, registration fees for conferences etc) 14% – about $150
Where did they stay?
During 2009, 337 hotels operated in Israel with a total of 45,000 rooms, including the list below:
- Jerusalem: 69 hotels with 9000 rooms
- Eilat: 50 hotels with 11,000 rooms
- Tel Aviv: 49 hotels with 6000 rooms
- Dead Sea: 15 hotels with 4000 rooms
- Tiberias and the Galilee: 45 hotels with 6000 rooms