317,000 tourists visited Israel in April 2010 – an all-time record for the month of April – and an increase of 26% on April 2009 and 9% on April 2008. 1,063,000 tourists visited Israel in the first four months of 2010, an increase of 44% on the same period last year and 13% more than 2008, which was Israel’s record year for tourism to date.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, during Jan-April 2010 there was an increase of 31% in the number of tourists staying at least one night in Israel (686,000) compared to the same period last year and 7% more than in 2008. Despite the problems in air travel caused by the ash cloud during April, there was an increase in visitors arriving by air (12% on 2009 and 5% on 2008).

In addition to data on incoming tourism, from the beginning of this year the ministry has begun collecting data from various sources on income from tourism. Based on this data, the ministry estimates that the income from incoming tourism only (excluding air travel) reached about 2.6 billion shekel (about $695 million) in the first quarter of 2010. This figure is about 32% higher than the income generated in the first quarter of 2009 (about 39% in dollar terms) and 9% more than the same period in 2008.

The Tourism Ministry, in cooperation with the tourism industry, is currently preparing for the budget debates related to 2011-2012 and is formulating a work plan and budget requests in line with the ministry’s objective of an additional million tourists – in total, 4 million tourists in 2012.

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov noted that “The constant growth in incoming tourism over recent months, alongside the increase in revenues and employment in the tourism industry, sharpens the tourism ministry’s contribution to the Israeli economy which creates direct employment for about 90,000 and indirect employment for about 160,000 in all areas of the Israeli economy.  An increase in incoming tourism has an immediate effect of millions of dollars on the economy’s income and the creation of new jobs, most of which, conspicuously and significantly, are in the periphery.”

The Israeli government has began to recognize the tourism industry’s enormous potential and must already exploit and realize it, with a significant increase in the budget for marketing Israel overseas, as well as easing the bureaucracy which currently prevents the construction of hotels and tourist attractions. “The April figures and the data relating to the first four months of the year are encouraging, but the competition for the tourist’s affection is harsh especially given the global economic crisis which influenced the level of pricing and demand. We must adapt ourselves to the global market,” added the minister.

(Ministry of Tourism)