The Ministry of Tourism is investing approximately 10 million NIS in marketing initiatives and infrastructure projects before, during and after the visit of Pope Francis to Israel, 25-26 Iyar 5774. This, in addition to the significant resources the ministry invests in conserving and preserving the holy sites in Israel and ensuring freedom of worship for all believers.

The marketing investment is centered around the dedicated website for the Catholic Pilgrim including live streaming of the visit and utilization of the most advanced online marketing tools,  both on the web and on the various social media platforms. The marketing emphasis is being placed on target source countries for Catholic pilgrimage –  USA, Brazil,  Italy,  Spain,  Poland,  France and Germany.

The Tourism Ministry ran an online Instagram promotion in advance of the Papal visit that garnered over 50,000 clicks and 34 million banner views around the world during March and April. The winner of the competition, a 22 year old Venezuelan, Gustavo Adolfo Franco Picaza will visit Israel later this week as a guest of the Israel Tourism Ministry. In the competition, contestants were asked to log into Instagram, upload a 15-second video telling the Ministry of Tourism why they wanted to visit the Holy Land, tag the video #popeintheholyland.  The contestants were then asked to request their friends to like their video on Instagram and the Ministry of Tourism’s app which had been prepared in 6 languages.

The ministry will offer full hosting to tens of journalists from around the world during the visit and will also be involved in offering support services and press tours to the estimated hundreds of journalists who will arrive in Israel to cover the Papal visit.

The Tourism Ministry, which invests in the maintenance and conservation of Christian sites on an ongoing basis, has invested tens of millions of shekel in recent years in the development and infrastructure of Christian sites, including, among others, the Yardenit baptism site on the River Jordan, the Sea of Galilee trail and promenade, Mount of Olives, Via Dolorosa, Ein Kerem and pilgrimage routes in Jerusalem, Nazareth and more. Improvements and upgrading in the area of Rachel’s Crossing and at the Room of the Last Supper that had been planned for later in the year have been carried out in advance of the Pope’s visit.

As a result of the visit to Israel by Pope Francis, who is such a popular figure and significant leader for the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, the ministry estimates an increase of tens of thousands in the numbers of Christians visiting Israel. Christian tourism, which accounts for about 60% of all incoming tourism, is expected to increase by about 10% in 2014.

Tourism Minister Dr. Uzi Landau adds “We welcome the Pope as a visitor of the highest importance, the most important religious leader Catholics around the world. We are greatly honored by his choice to visit Israel. We will continue to welcome the faithful with open arms, as they choose to visit Israel in the footsteps of the Pope.”

Christian Tourism to Israel

The year 2013 was Israel’s record year for incoming tourism with 3.54 million visitor entries. During the first three months of 2013, this trend has continued, with about 775,000 visitors entering Israel, 3% more than the same period in 2013.

In 2013, Christians represented more than half (53%) of all incoming tourists (those staying more than one night), 96% of day visitors and 78% of cruise visitors. In total, over two million Christians visited Israel in 2013, about 60% of the 3.54 million total visitors.

Please note that visitors includes one-day and cruise visitors.

Tourists refers to those staying more than one night.

Of these Christian tourists, about a half were Catholic (49%); 20% were Protestants (the majority Evangelical ); 28% were Orthodox (mainly Russian Orthodox) and 7% were from other Christian denominations.

About a million (40%) of these Christian tourists defined themselves as pilgrims; about 30% said they were in Israel for sight-seeing and touring and the remainder for other reasons.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)