A senior delegation of 42 North American tour operators from USTOA (the United States Tour Operators Association), visited Israel in April as guests of the Israel Ministry of Tourism and to hold its annual board meeting there. The trip was conceived and developed by the Israel Ministry of Tourism in cooperation with El Al Israel Airlines and the participating municipalities. The delegates were accommodated at the Dan Carmel, Haifa, Kibbutz Hagoshrim in the Upper Galilee, the David InterContinental Tel Aviv and the King David Jerusalem, and the Dan Hotels Corporation sponsored gala dinner receptions at the Dan Carmel, the King David and the Dan Tel Aviv. The wholesalers also were hosted for cocktails at Jerusalem’s David Citadel Hotel, dinner at the Mamilla Hotel, its sister property across the road, and post-prandial drinks at the Mamilla’s Mirror Bar. Their touring itinerary included stops at Acre, Safed, Nazareth, Caesarea, the Dead Sea and Masada and the Judean Desert, among other places; the delegates also spent a number of hours visiting Bethlehem, in the Palestinian Authority. “The USTOA, comprising the top 120 wholesalers in North America, holds two events in foreign countries each year - its annual convention...

According to statistics gathered by Central Bureau of Statistics and the released by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 302,000 visitors entered Israel in March 2013, four percent more than in March 2012 and 10 percent more than March 2011. About 251,000 of the in March 2013 entries were...

Late in April, Israel’s government approved the signing of the Open Skies agreement with the European Union, which had been initialed by Israel in 2012, paving the way for the accord to be ratified by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. According to data from the Federation of Israeli...

As reported on p. 35 of this issue, International Travel & Congresses has selected tour guide Rebecca Zhang to serve as its local representative in China and to report back to the company’s Asian Market Manager Tal Ben David, based in the company’s Tel Aviv headquarters, Since beginning her work at the start of January, she has been paying visits to agents...

“Even though the domestic market accounts for the largest part of our activities, we remain Israel’s only certified International Conventions Center, and just about everything we have been working on these past couple of years has been to continue to develop and strengthen our position in the international market,” states, ICC Jerusalem International Conventions...

A country with a 3000-year history, in a land where the roots of civilization go back even further, Israel is a museum-lover's dream, with the highest number of museums per capita in the world A blend of ancient and modern, Western and Eastern, religious and secular cultures, Israel is motivated...

Situated opposite the northern coast of the port city of Ashdod, the West Ashdod opened in February after being under development for a number of years. With 113 rooms and suites, it is Ashdod’s first modern hotel, and a sister hotel to the Tamares Chain’s West Tel Aviv property. All the accommodation units feature a balcony...

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is to construct a hotel and residential complex in the Old City of Jaffa, a part of the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa. The company's first W Hotel in Israel, it is to be developed as a six-floor hotel incorporated into a four-story building...

As of this past March, the Israel Ministry of Tourism’s Investment Administration had received 32 requests for the construction and expansion of hotels throughout the country, for a total of more than 3000 new rooms. The total investment in these projects is in the...

Guests booking hostel accommodations via hostelworld.com (which takes bookings for 27,000 properties in 180 countries) have selected the Abraham Hostel, Jerusalem in eighth place as one of the world’s top hostels with up to 250 beds - the only hostel of its size in the Middle...

As summer approaches, a number of international music stars have announced plans to perform in Israel in the coming months: U.S. blues guitarist Johnny Winter, 5 June; Experimental rock group...

Jerusalem's Festival of Light, a joint initiative of the Jerusalem Development Authority together the Prime Ministers' Office, the Jerusalem Municipality and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, will celebrate its fifth consecutive year between 5 and 13 June. Serving as a backdrop for lighting...

By Amir Rockman, Cycling Specialist, Gordon Tours (www.gordonactive.com) Thirty years ago, when I was growing up in, nobody rode a bike in Jerusalem. That is, nobody short of my parents and a small group of their friends, all of whom were known for this idiosyncrasy. Little did I know that they were pioneers of one of the most popular forms of sport and travel in Israel today. We would bike everywhere as a family, and all our family trips would be by bike. My parents would bike to work and we all biked to school. When people would see our bike rack on the car (at all times), they wouldn't ask whether we biked single track trails or road bikes, do we commute by bike or just enjoy a ride in the park; we were usually asked where we found such a sophisticated way to take bikes on a car. Bikes were seen at the time as toys for children, a way for the super poor to get around, or a hobby for the select few. Israel today is a completely different country as far as biking is concerned. Recent studies show that one out of every seven Israelis is an active cyclist on one level or another. You can see hundreds of people commuting through Tel Aviv and Jerusalem at any given time. There are known hotspots for road biking and mountain biking, parks full of families on bikes...

IMTM 2013, the 19th International Mediterranean Tourism Market, took place this past February 5-6 at the Tel Aviv Trade Fairs Center & Exhibition Hall. According to the organizers of the annual event, Ortra Ltd. and Israel Travel News Ltd. (which publishes Israel Travel News), nearly 22,000 visitors attended the event, including more than 12,000 trade attendees, the largest...

Based on a project drawn up in 2008 by an inter-ministerial committee, the Government of Israel has allocated about $25 million - NIS 20 million a year - in a five-year plan (2009-2013) to develop a serious bicycling infrastructure throughout the country, with a significant portion of this...

According to statistics gathered by Central Bureau of Statistics and released by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, 217,000 visitor entries were recorded in January 2013, six percent less than the 231,000 in January 2012 and 13 percent less than in January 2011, but two percent higher than...

A total of 1750 new hotel rooms throughout Israel were approved for subsidization in 2012, and the Ministry of Tourism’s Investments Administration invested about NIS 260 million in hotel projects last year - 25 percent more than in 2011. The overall investment grants and investment in the...

Following an NIS 200,000 marketing campaign in Israel and overseas to invite bids for the tender and after five bids had been received, the Israel Land Administration’s Tenders Committee has chosen an...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has released findings based on research, interviews and similar tools it employed recently in New York, Los Angeles, South Florida, London and Sao Paulo. “Our goal is to identify the needs of these target groups and to understand what motivates the potential...

“I have noticed that the number of overnights by tourists staying in Jerusalem has dropped, even though only slightly,” says Arie Sommer, who took over as secretary general of the Jerusalem Hotel Association (JHA) this past June, “so naturally, one of my first orders of business was to develop...

“We had a good January,” states Bruno de Schuyter, general manager of the Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem. “February was a ‘hiccup,’ but from March onwards we look to be in very good shape. This is quite similar to our results these past three years and in fact, we believe 2013 will be even...

Three of the four floors of rooms of the Agripas Hotel, a new property situated in Jerusalem in the Nachlaot neighborhood, between the Machane Yehuda Market and King George Street, opened early in March in a building that was converted to hotel use. “Our family bought the property in 2008...

Israel’s Prima Hotels is expanding, and the chain has acquired its fourth hotel in Jerusalem, the rebranded Prima Park Hotel in Jerusalem’s Givat Ram hotel district, at a cost of about NIS 80 million (nearly $22 million). “We intend to invest an additional NIS 20 million to renovate...

The former Leonardo Inn Jerusalem was sold to new owners this past August, and rebranded the Jerusalem Gardens Hotel & Spa when it began operating in November under its new name, reports General Manager Guy Goldman, who managed the hotel as a Fattal property...

Jerusalem's historic Ottoman-era train station will reopen as an entertainment and nightlife center this April, and the 1.7-acre complex will include seven restaurants, four ice cream and coffee stands, a large art gallery, farmers' market and a 2000-pax concert...

Scheduled to open by late spring, the first hotel in the Middle East under IHG’s Indigo label is being completed in Ramat Gan, in the Israel Diamond Exchange district, adjacent to Tel Aviv. The new property, constructed at a cost of about NIS 120 million, will open as the Indigo...

“Boutique hotels are growing in stature in Tel Aviv, and while you could call us boutique, we also are something different, a type of residence house, an aspect of another developing trend, for apartments in authentic neighborhoods. They usually are single apartments, not full-service...

“The Alexander is a lovely property. The location is great, overlooking the Mediterranean and just a few steps from the beach, and the hotel is ready to advance to the next level,” asserts Howard Fink, who took over recently as general manager of the hotel, known as the...

The Marina Hotel, Tel Aviv has redesigned its entrance area, upgrading it with new lighting and landscaping, among other elements, reports Director of Sales & Marketing Guri Eldar. “This was a very important project for us,” he explains. “Agents would complain - and we understood them - that...

Now under construction on Yona Hanavi St in Tel Aviv, a new hotel by the owners of Abratel Suites and back-to-back to it, is scheduled to open towards the end of the year. The as-yet-nameless property, which will offer a covered passageway between it and the Abratel as well as another...

The Alma Hotel and Lounge, housed in a preservation building from 1923 that was built in the “Eclectic Style” popular in the city then, is situated. just off Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard. The property has been redesigned as a three-storey boutique hotel, which opened for its running-in...

The Tadmor Hotel, located in Herzliya, just north of Tel Aviv, one facet of a hotel, hotel management and culinary school owned by the government and the Israel Hotel Association, has embarked on a series of renovations designed to transform the lower guest rooms floor of the three-storey...

The Grand Court Hotel, Jerusalem is putting the finishing touches on its dining room, which it has just refurbished - the first serious work carried out on the facility since the hotel opened eight years ago. It has installed a new “taboun” (a clay oven traditionally used to bake pita bread), new serving...

Delicious Israel offers culinary and boutique guided specialty tours to small groups. “Eat Jerusalem” focuses on the city’s Machane Yehuda market, where tastings of farm-fresh produce, olive oils, cheeses, sweets are part of the program, along with an ethnic meal in a long-established...

Hattam Mattar, whose company, H-M Sales & Marketing, began operating last year and who specializes in marketing meals to groups in Jerusalem, Galilee and Bethlehem (in the Palestinian Authority) and as a marketing representative for properties primarily - though not exclusively - in Israel’s...

Druze tour guide Mofed Abu Rish has developed a Druze heritage project for tourists, based upon Yarka, his home town, a Western Galilee village north of Acre. “Yarka has been populated for hundreds of years and the Druze community has been a part of it for the last 300 or so,” Abu Rish...

Eighteen new rooms, fully outfitted for - and accessible to - visitors with all types of disabilities, are to be inaugurated at the Ein Gedi Hostel, on Kibbutz Ein Gedi, by the Dead Sea, early this coming summer, reports Ofer Shapira, assistant general manager of the Israel Youth Hostel...

The Atlas Hotel Chain inaugurated two new hotels early in March, the Arthur, a boutique property in Jerusalem, developed at a cost of more than NIS 35 million, and the Bay Club Haifa, in which more than NIS 25 million were invested. Named after Scottish statesman Arthur James...

M&G Tourism, an independent marketing and sales company founded by marketing veterans Oded Marcus and Gili Gazit three years ago to serve as a platform for independent hotels, has been developing programs and packages for two new markets for two of the properties with which it works, the Palm Beach Club, Acre and the Golan Hotel, Tiberias. “We began working with the Palm Beach Club this past January, and when we came to visit the property, prepare a marketing concept and strategy for it and decide which markets could be developed, we realized that what this hotel complex offers, dovetails perfectly with the needs of FIT tourists from Russia,” Marcus explains. “Russians love the seashore, sports facilities, a spa and good food, and they also prefer unpacking their bags in one hotel and taking day trips to places of interest. Based on these parameters, and on the fact that the Palm Beach Club was totally renovated and upgraded recently, includingh the spa, and that the changes in the dining room - both physical and by way of cuisine, with an emphasis on sophisticated cooking equipment, an open kitchen and food served a la minute - make dining at the hotel a true culinary experience, we have developed a stay-put HB package based on a seven-night stay. There is a three-night option too. Daily tours in Russian are an optional element of these packages, and the hotel guarantees that the dinner menu will change every day. Also, as an added incentive, the package includes transfers from and to the airport, since, as Marcus states, “this can also play an important role in the Russian tourist’s decision. “Up until now,” he continues, “German and Dutch tourists have comprised the bulk of the Palm Beach Club’s incoming mix - and they usually do not stay for more than one or two nights. We will continue to develop these markets and have created three-five-and-seven-night beauty and relaxation spa packages for them based on the hotel - which we also will offer to the Russian market. Russia is new territory. However, we have been making preparation and we hope to make a splash at MITT. We have prepared a flyer in Russian, which we will distribute there, and have started to market the property to relevant operators. One has even decided to invest in printing a dedicated brochure in Russian for these packages.” M&G has also started to target the groups market from China with a program that also features the Golan Hotel. “Millennium Global Tourism, a Chinese wholesaler, started to bring groups to Israel two years ago, with accommodations at the Golan and the Blue Bay Netanya, which we represent too, but which is closing down for a total transformation,” Marcus recollects. “I suggested the Palm Beach and took him to see Acre and the hotel. He was amazed by the seashore and the city and started to examine the hotel very thoroughly. He had a tape measure with him, and he measured just about everything in the hotel, from the buffets to the size of the rooms. He was very serious, but when he had finished he said that all of his groups in 2013 would stay with us for two nights - and we are talking about more than 100 small groups. I’m also pleased that his groups will continue to spend three nights at the Golan. Knowing the market, there is good cause to believe that the other Chinese wholesalers working with Israel will follow suit.” With these expectations, the Golan has started to translate material into Chinese, including flyers, room tent cards, a welcome letter and more. The Golan had a good 2012, overall, and specifically with tourists from China, and it too offers material in Chinese to its guests and has developed an Internet site in that language. “No more than about 15 percent of the Golan’s guests come from abroad,” Marcus reveals, “but a full seven percent of these were from China, and this is just the beginning. We anticipate substantial growth in 2013, and it has started already, at least on the books. We expect that close to 20 percent of our incoming guests between March and May will be Chinese.” Americana Upgrade The Americana, Eilat, another M&G client, is putting the finishing touches on renovations, which are to be completed by the second week in March. The entire entrance fa?ade has been redesigned, as has the entrance area. A new, larger reception desk has been installed and the lobby has been redesigned, and outfitted with new furniture. The bar and dining room have been refurbished and upgraded too, as has the hotel’s meeting and banquet hall, which can accommodate up to 200 participants theater style. “About 50 percent of the guests at the Americana come from abroad,” Marcus mentions - “Germans, Russians and Dutch, for the most part, with a smaller number of Finnish tourists - and the Americana provides free shuttle service from and to Ovda International Airport for all FITs booking a seven-night stay. All guests staying for at least four nights receive one free entrance to Eilat’s new ice rink, which is adjacent to the hotel.”

Caesar Premier Hotels, which owns and manages properties in Jerusalem, Tiberias and Eilat, is to invest NIS 15 million over the next 2.5 to three years in upgrading its three hotels, reports the chain’s General Manager Israel Hayat. At the 230-room Caesar Premier Tiberias, work has just...

“Last year, for the fourth year in a row, the Caesar Premier Tiberias increased its share of Tiberias’ incoming market,” Israel Hayat asserts, “and our current work plan calls for this trend to continue in 2013, despite the slow start to the year, which seems to be affecting every hotel in the city, not just ours. Most of our foreign guests are pilgrimage tourists from the U.S., although we also have been hosting a growing number of Christian groups from Brazil.”

“Although rooms on kibbutz properties are the product we sell, we have decided to devote more of our resources to developing and promoting greater content based on Kibbutz Hotel Chain [KHC] accommodation options,” says the chain’s General Manager Amnon Eliyahu. “We have been...

Guests booking hostel accommodations via hostelworld.com (which takes bookings for 27,000 properties in 180 countries) have selected the Abraham Hostel, Jerusalem in eighth place as one of the world’s top hostels with up to 250 beds - the only hostel of its size in the Middle...

Hemdatya, a B&B option located at Ilaniya, just south of the Golani Junction and about a 120-minute drive to Tiberias, offers five accommodation units in individual limestone buildings constructed nearly 100 years ago. The buildings are marketed on a B&B basis and most of them...

Bercleys Management UK Ltd., a London-based real-estate company that recently initiated the construction of two shopping centers near the Eilat Promenade, will build the first shopping and recreation center on the Israeli shores of the Dead Sea. The NIS 200 million entertainment...

“My father raised me with a love for the Bible, both the Old and New Testament, and for the Crusaders, and these two passions fit in perfectly with my role, and my success in developing contacts with many Christian denominations and churches," says Israel Tourism Consul and Director, Midwest Region Omer Eshel, America’s “secondary Bible Belt,” as he terms it. “It has taken a year of hard work to ‘plant the seeds,’” Eshel relates, during which time he also produced a 12-part “The Bible Comes to Life” series as part of his office’s in-house campaign targeting the Christian market, “as a result of which people started to call me affectionately ‘Little Jesus.’” He recites chapter and verse while showing and talking about the places mentioned in the texts, as they are now. The program appears on four TV stations and five radio stations each week. About 200 churches in the Midwest use it as part of their Sunday School educational programs, and the Israel Ministry of Tourism has selected the series as part of its overall promotional activities to Christian markets in North America in 2013. "The show has opened many doors for me,” Eshel adds. Ministry of Tourism Interdenominational Fam A group of clergy from the Greater Chicago area came to Israel on a nine-day interdenominational pilgrimage educational tour early in January. The tour was organized by the IGTO, Midwest Region in cooperation with El Al Israel Airlines and participants were accommodated at the Dan Tel Aviv, Golden Crown (Nazareth), Rimonim Galei Kinnereth (Tiberias) and the Inbal Jerusalem. Sixteen religious leaders took part in the trip, in addition to 13 spouses, four media personnel and Vance T. Henry, deputy chief of staff in Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office, for Community and Faith-Based Initiatives, who also serves as assistant pastor at the First Baptist Congregation, Chicago. “We hosted representatives from Assemblies of God, Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Non-Denominational, Seventh Day Adventist, UPCI, Anglican, Baptist churches in the Greater Chicago area, with the full support of the mayor, who called the group a way to ‘…build bridges in Chicago’ and who will meet with its members on February 7 and preside over two press conferences in his office, where the entire affair will be documented by TV cameras. A Church of the Nazarene leader was also to have taken part in the trip, but he cancelled at the last moment. Nevertheless, three of the four main Christian Churches in the Midwest were represented - UPCI, Assemblies of God, which currently operate Israel programs, and Seventh Day Adventists - and we are working on scheduling a separate Church of Nazarene educational. This is important for us, since I would like all four of these major Midwest denominations to work with us and for their leaders to organize holyland pilgrimages.” Even before the trip ended, Eshel reports that a number of pilgrimage groups are being planned by the participants, and he believes that at least four or five of these will take place in 2014. Aside from the special Church of Nazarene tour, the IGTO, Chicago also has arranged for the UPCI to hold its...

One day prior to its annual conference, held this year on Christmas Day at the Hilton Tel Aviv, the Israel Hotel Association (IHA) published its unofficial final-year figures for 2012. A total of 22.1 million bed-nights were registered in Israel’s hotels in 2012, of which foreign tourists accounted...

Now completing his first year as general manager of Jerusalem’s American Colony Hotel, East Jerusalem, managed by Gauer Hotels, Thomas Brugnatelli speaks of his sojourn in Israel as “…a great opportunity, and a chance to experience a piece of history. “I found a wonderful property and an...

As we at Isramworld near the close of our 45th anniversary year, instead of the usual platitudes, I want to get a few things off my chest. Even though Isramworld operates tours and programs to more than 56 countries, and even though we’re “all American,” we never forget that Isram was born in Israel. I mean, even the name says it all: ISRam+AMerica. And tours...

After having served as headquarters of “The Quartet” headed by former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, during which time they were closed for four years to the public, the 20 rooms in the building facing the main entrance were renovated recently, and the building dedicated to Photographer John D. Whiting, son...

The Rothschild Hotel, a new boutique property, opened late last year on Rothschild Blvd, Tel Aviv. “The hotel is an homage of sorts to the Baron Rothschild, whom I see as the first Zionist start-up entrepreneur back in the 19th century and whose projects were catalysts to many others, helping to...

While spending much of his efforts these days in getting The Rothschild Hotel off the ground, Ifrach has not been ignoring the Diaghilev, his art theme hotel a short walk from the new project. Recently, the Diaghilev inaugurated a new space to showcase fashion exhibitions, which are replaced every season. A bar also is scheduled to open in the hotel. “I believe in the Diaghilev,” Ifrach says, “and I would love to copy the concept abroad, perhaps in Berlin. However, my real dream would be an Ali Baba theme hotel in Jaffa. This won’t happen in the near future.”

Established in the 1960s as an autarchic community and as a hostel for terminally ill patient on nearly 40 acres of land atop a hill between Safed and Rosh Pina that the owner. known to all as Dr. Yaros, a medical practitioner and one of the founders of homeopathic medicine in Israel, had purchased...

Every Friday morning, guide Hezi Segev takes hotel guests on a short tour, free of charge, to the Nimrod Lookout Point on Mt. Cana’an nearby, an observation point he developed with his own hands, to preserve the memory of his son Nimrod, who used to love sitting there and who died in combat a few years ago. Aside from featuring views of the entire area, the site offers a recorded talk in English and Hebrew on the spot and on Nimrod’s attachment to it.

The Nazareth Plaza is investing NIS three million in upgrading its guest rooms. Improvements include renovating bathrooms and closets, installing new flooring, changing the bathtubs and replacing about half the TV sets in the hotel. The others will be replaced by year’s end, says hotel...

Based on statistics provided by the Central Bureau of Statistics that were released early in January by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, Israel recorded more than 3.5 million foreign visitor entries in 2012, five percent more than in 2011 and two percent more than in 2010. Of these, bona fide...

About 238,000 visitors arrived in Israel this past December, nine percent fewer than in December 2001 and 11 percent fewer than in December 2010. About 195,000 entries by bona fide tourists were recorded this past December (nine percent fewer than December 2011 and 10 percent...

Israir Airlines carried more than 282,500 passengers on its international routes from and to Ben Gurion International Airport in 2012, an increase of 12 percent over the 2011 figure, a company spokesperson says, “…and a very impressive increase compared with the overall increase of 1.42 percent...

El Al Israel Airlines is expanding its “Economy Plus” offerings, introducing this new class on all of its B-767-300 craft, in addition to its 747s, where the new service has been available since this past May (see EMTT #341). The airline operates 767s on flights to and from Bangkok, Beijing, Johannesburg, Mumbai...

El Al is expanding service on its Tel Aviv-London routes, and it will operate 17 weekly flights between the two cities starting this coming March, an increase of four over its current complement. The airline will operate 11 flights weekly...

El Al has launched a Tel Aviv package combining flights from the U.S. from either JFK/Newark or Los Angeles, with a three-night stay at either the Hilton Tel Aviv or Carlton Tel Aviv. All prices are based on double occupancy. Accommodations at the Carlton Tel Aviv...

Lido, which operates a fleet of Sea of Galilee boats along with two lakeside restaurants in a compound located in Tiberias, on the western Sea of Galilee shores, has started to market Sea of Galilee cruise/Pagoda restaurant combinations. The package consists of a...

Herbs of Kedem carries out research into the minerals and plants in the Dead Sea region and produces complementary medicinal products designed to help people manage a range of illnesses and conditions. While focusing much of its marketing effort on tourists staying at hotels in the...

The Ice Rink & Mall, a new Eilat attraction focused around an 18,000 m² Olympic-size ice skating rink situated in its center, opened late last year. The main shopping boulevard of the facility, with more than 10,000 m² of commercial space, is the longest in Israel, and there are close to 150 shops...

The Indian State of Tamil Nadu has added Jerusalem to its roster of government-funded pilgrimage destinations, and it has issued guidelines for Christian pilgrims interested in 20,000 INR in financial assistance for a 10-day pilgrimage to Jerusalem between February...

Malaysia has relaxed restrictions for religious visits to Israel, lifting the quota on the number of pilgrims allowing ands permitting anyone to make the trip for up to 21 days at a time. According a letter issued by the Malaysian Prime Minister's Office to the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), Christians may...

After nearly a year of work and interchanges with representatives of the various sectors of Israel’s tourism industry, the Committee to Reduce the Cost of Vacation Packages in Israel, chaired by Ministry of Tourism Director General Noaz Bar Nir, presented its recommendations late in October. If and when implemented, these recommendations will lead to a decrease of 15-20 percent in the cost of vacationing in Israel, the committee states, and to an increase of about 10 percent in incoming tourism - five percent due to hotel reform and a similar amount as the result of the new open skies airline agreement between Israel and the EU once it is ratified and implemented. According to the committee, one reason for the high cost of tourism in Israel is the high prices charged by hotels and B&B accommodations, due to a lack of competition. Accommodation costs account for 69 percent of the total vacation cost in Israel, the committee learned; Jerusalem is the world’s tenth most expensive city for accommodations, and the cost of overnight accommodations in Tel Aviv increased by 21.8 percent this past year, with an price average of €208 a night in the city’s top hotels. The high cost of air travel to Israel is a second factor. Airline costs are higher than average, with a significantly higher cost for charter flights from Europe to Israel than to destinations of a similar distance. As ways of redressing these challenges, the committee recommends...

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Tourism, 278,000 entries, 12 percent fewer than the number for November 2011, were recorded this past November. Of these, 223,000 were by visitors classified as bona fide tourists, those remaining one overnight at least, and about 10 percent fewer were recorded this past November, than for...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism’s third annual Israel Tourism Convention for operators and agents from abroad, took place for five days in late November-early December. The event was attended by about 130 company owners and senior managers for the most part, from more than 20 countries. In abiding with Ministry policy on whom to invite, about 50...

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Ministry of Transport to postpone signing the Open Skies agreement negotiated between Israel and the EU earlier this year (see EMTT #346). The agreement, initialed already by the Israel Civil Aviation...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism is investing about NIS 15 million in a new series of advertising and other marketing activities in the North America, Russia and the Ukraine. The campaign in North America, in both English and Spanish, and budgeted at NIS seven...

For Ahuva Zaken, who was appointed to the position of senior deputy director general, standardization, operations and service quality, in 2011, the goal her office works to implement is “good service for tourists,” whether this means overseeing information offices in Jerusalem, Nazareth, Eilat ...

The owners of the property known until now as the Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel & Towers, have signed a long-term extension of their agreement with the Sheraton Corporation, and the property will remain a Sheraton for the next 20 years, reports hotel General Manager Jean-Louis Ripoche. According to the terms of the agreement, Sheraton guarantees that...

“Even with the drop these past two months in incoming tourism to Israel and to our hotels, 2012 has been an excellent incoming tourism year for us,” states the Fattal Hotel Chain’s Assistant General Manager, Marketing Roni Aloni, “The chain has been investing heavily in developing incoming...

Lufthansa has unveiled details of the operations to and from Israel of its subsidiary Germanwings, starting in 2013. The airline, which has been offering service between Cologne and Tel Aviv for the past two years, has been operating as Lufthansa’s low-cost alternative. However, it is being...

Tel Aviv has inaugurated its new Internet site (www.visit-tel-aviv-yafo.com), a joint project of the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, the Tel Aviv Hotel Association and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, to serve as a tool to market the city as an incoming tourism destination, by highlighting its...

The Ministry of Tourism has carried out a survey among 25,000 families (representing about 42,000 people) that visited Israel in 2011. It is a representative sample of the survey population, a Ministry spokesperson says. Purpose of Visit There was been an increase of about 10 percent in 2011, in the numbers of tourists coming to Israel for touring and sightseeing, compared with the figure for the previous year. The average length of time for a tourist to stay in Israel (among those staying for up to 30 days) is 8.2 nights, a slight increase on last year. Most tourists stay in hotels or vacation resorts (71 percent), and this accounts for the majority of their outlay in the country. Segmentation by Religious Affiliation Over half of the tourists visiting Israel in 2011 were Christian (58 percent). Twenty-five percent were Jewish and one percent Moslem. Catholics accounted for 52 percent of all the Christian visitors...

The International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM), organized by Ortra Ltd. and Israel Travel News Ltd. (which produces and publishes EMTT), will be held for the 19th time, on 5-6 February 2013, at the Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center, Tel Aviv. “With registration having started about...

An EMTT Special Greeting for WTM, Prepared by Naama Oryan-Kaplan, Director of the Israel Government Tourist Office, U.K. & Ireland With European countries coming out of a double dip rescission, you would expect that there is automatic decrease in luxury purchases such as travel. However, at least with the British market, this is not the...

“We are optimistic about 2013,” remarks, David Tucker, vice president, marketing & sales for Alrov Luxury Hotels, Jerusalem - the David Citadel and the Mamilla, “thanks to a number of special events that will take place next year in Jerusalem, or will have a direct impact...

The Le Meridien Dead Sea has been selected by World Travel Awards as Israel’s leading hotel for 2012. It was also rated first in the hotel spa category. The Carlton Tel Aviv repeated its 2010 achievement by being selected as Israel’s best business hotel. The decisions were based on the recommendations by a panel of travel industry judges, along with surveys carried out among the traveling public.

In time for jubilee celebration marking its establishment as a Haifa landmark, which are scheduled to be held this coming April, all the rooms and floors of the Dan Carmel Haifa are in the process of being totally renovated, torn down to the foundations and rebuilt from scratch. “What we have...

As reported in EMTT #345, the Lot Hotel, the Dead Sea has been granted funds by the Ministry of Tourism’s Investments Committee to expand the property. “We closed down the hotel for a month at the beginning of the year,” reports General Manager Nechemia Ben-Porat, “even before...

The ninth and twelfth floor of the Crowne Plaza Dead Sea reopened earlier this year after having been closed for renovations between November 2011 and April 2012. “Everything in the 63 rooms and suites on these floors is brand new,” says General Manager David Bernas, who joined the...

“We have just added ‘deluxe’ - a new category - to our complement of rooms, by upgrading 20 former ‘standard lakeside’ units, all with a full Sea of Galilee view, in the “Herbert” building, which opened in 2004,” reports Peter Hehle, general manager of the Scots...

Established as a 28-room two-story guesthouse in the 1980s, Beit Shmuel, located off King David St. in Jerusalem, between the David Citadel and King David hotels, inaugurated a one-storey wing a few years ago. It consists of 11 new rooms, on what hotel General Manager Ruth Kaplan...

“The hotel changed ownership at the beginning of November 2011, and I came aboard two months later,” reports Shadi Nassir, general manager of the Hod Hotel, Dead Sea. “Since then, much has happened at the hotel, and more is to come.” Some of Nassir’s first steps were: installing...

“I began to work at the start of July, and since then I have spent many hours on the road, traveling from one of our hotels to another and getting to know them, the employees and the owners of those that we manage, but which are not ours.” remarks Ronen Shay, general manager...

Located on a side street off Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv, a couple of minutes by foot, away from Habima Square and the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, in an area where more and more boutique properties are being developed, the Hotel B Berdichevsky opened for business...

After developing 112 family units and 36 couples rooms in 1995 in a separate two-storey building, and then renovating all of its units four years ago, the Ma’agan Holiday Village, located on Kibbutz Ma’agan, on the southern shores of the Sea of Galilee, is now beginning to expand...

“We have just celebrated our jubilee year serving in tourists,” says Guido Sasson, sales manager for the Kibbutz Lavi Hotel. “We began in the early 1960s, when the kibbutz supplied lunch on route for Egged Tours daily bus tours, when the tourists would dine with kibbutz members in the communal...

The Royal Beach Tel Aviv, Isrotel’s newest property in the city, overlooking the city’s southern Mediterranean Coast, is scheduled to open on 1 March 2013 as a deluxe 23-storey property with spa, duplex business lounge and a large number of other features. “Benny Levy, Isrotel’s sales department...

While working on the development of new hotels in Tel Aviv (see EMTT #344), the Atlas Hotel Chain is completing two other projects, one in Haifa and the other in Jerusalem. The Bay Club Haifa, the chain’s new 52-room property designed with a Cote-d’Azure ambience (see EMTT #342), is to open...

Developed on the premises of the old Migdal Hotel, in Haifa’s Hadar district, which shut down in 2005, the Theodor came to being less than two years ago, when the current hotel owner signed a long-term lease for the property - “which was in a horrible state,” adds hotel...

As reported in EMTT #342: “The Vatel International Hotel & Tourism Management Business School, an international business school specializing in Tourism, with particular emphasis on International Hotel Management, is expanding to Tel Aviv, and it has signed a partnership agreement with...

“Being away from the hotel industry for a few years expanded my horizons and broadened my understanding,” states Avi Dor, the new general manager of Prima Hotels. “I enjoyed what I was doing and I would not have accepted just any offer, but when Prima asked me to come aboard, I realized...

Emily’s Boutique, a new 48-room property developed on the site of the old Polonia Hotel, which had been in a state of desuetude for many years before being gutted completely, opened this past spring. It is located in Tiberias, off the road leading East, opposite the Rimonim Galei Kinnereth. The ...

The Municipality of Rishon LeZion, situated, south-east of Tel Aviv, has issued a tender offer for the development of the city’s first hotel, a boutique property in the old Municipality area. Plans call for the former Municipality building to contain the hotel’s public areas, with rooms - up to a maximum...

Late in July, the “open skies” agreement between Israel and the EU was initialed by Giora Rom, head of the Israel Civil Aviation Authority, acting on behalf of Israel Minister of Transport & Road Safety Yisrael Katz, and Klaus Gail, chief negotiator for the EU. Subject to final ratification, the new...

The government of Israel has approved a proposal suggested by Israel Minister of Transport & Road Safety Yisrael Katz, which calls for the evacuation of Tel Aviv ‘s Dov Airfield by the end of 2018 and transferring all of its light craft activities to a new airfield that would be developed in Ein Shemer, in the...

“Haifa is changing direction,” asserts Danny Ronen, director general of the Haifa Tourist Board. Whereas once the European market was paramount with us and we never missed an opportunity to exhibit at WTM and ITB, we’ll be paying much greater attention to the Chinese market...

The Airports Council International (ACI) has awarded Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport with the Roll of Excellence for ranking in the top five in its category in Airport Service Quality. The award, which is presented to airports that achieve excellence in service quality and passenger satisfaction, was presented...

A group of clergy from the U.K., visited Israel early this past September (along with spouses), on a Holyland fam trip organized by Manchester-based Israel tourism specialist ITS. “The main point of interest is that we have broken into the black church and in the main from Ghana,” wrote...

Yehuda Semadar founded Holyland Sailing together with Reuven Ben Dori in the early 1990s, a few years after the ‘Jesus Boat’ had been dredged from the Sea of Galilee, to offer cruises to pilgrims on boats modeled after the one that had been pulled from the lake. “This partnership lasted...

The Hurva Synagogue, constructed originally in the 16th century in the Jewish Quarter of the Jerusalem’s Old City, destroyed not long afterwards, reconstructed about 150 years ago and operating as a house of worship until 1948, when it was razed in the course of Israel’s War of Independence...

Having welcome something like 600,000 visitors in 2011 - all free of charge - and with figures so far this year indicating that 2012 will be better yet, the Yardenit Baptism Site, situated on Kibbutz Kinnereth opposite the Sea of Galilee, where the lake meets the Jordan River, has been...

Located in the Bedouin village of Zarzir, off the Nazareth-Afula road, the El Sultan restaurant, owned by Sultan El-Ful, an experienced chef and restaurateur from a family that has been involved in food activities for generations, has been offering meals on route to groups, based on the typical...

Canadian-American singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette is scheduled to appear in Israel later this year, with a concert in Tel Aviv’s Nokia Arena set for 3 December - her first appearance in Israel since 2000 - while British pop stars Depeche Mode will launch a 34-show European tour next ...

A Salt Park, located in areas damaged by the receding shoreline in the northern Dead Sea region is being developed by the Megilloth Regional Council to showcase artistic works unique to the region, with the aim of explaining the phenomenon of the sea, its environment ...

Israel’s Negev Desert has been chosen by the Lonely Planet travel guide as one of the top regions in the world to visit in 2013, ranking it in second place on its top-ten list of travel destinations. Writing of it as a “Desert in throes of transformation,” the guide also warns that it is undergoing rapid...

The Jerusalem Municipality has announced a NIS 18 million initiative to renovate Emek Hatzvaim Park (Deer Valley; just south of the city) - named for the deer indigenous to it - to reinforce the wildlife population with additional deer, develop a birdwatching promenade and create paved...

“Yalla Basta,” a new company that has started to market culinary experiences in Israel, is offering packages that include visits, complete with tastings, to a number of better-known markets (“suqs”) in the country. Each package includes a card valid for tastes of some of the more representative...

With the decision finalized and ratified by the Israeli government and the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) to hold nationwide elections this coming January and to form a new government - and with the conclusion of the Jewish year 5772 and the successes registered for the year (as referred to in EMTT#344) - EMTT turned to Israel Ministry of Tourism Director General Noaz Bar-Nir, who took up his current position in June 2009, for an assessment of Ministry of Tourism achievements these past 3.5 years and to discuss plans and thoughts for the future. “Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov set a number of goals when he took office,” Bar-Nir says. “These included reaching four million annual visitors from abroad by 2012 - about one million more than the figure for 2009 - and five million by 2015. The way matters stand now, we will have welcomed about 3.7 million foreigners to the country by the end of this year, and while this is still about seven percent fewer than the target, it is important to look at the serious exogenic events that have taken place during our watch in order to evaluate and appreciate the true significance of this achievement, especially the so-called ‘Arab Spring’ and the regional developments in its aftermath, which are transpiring...

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 298,000 foreign visitors entered Israel in August 2012, a record for the month, eclipsing by seven percent the figure for August 2010 and that for August last year by 10 percent. A 10 percent increase was also reported in the number of bona fide tourists visiting the country that month - 248,000 - while the 12,000 cruise passenger visits were higher by 39 percent than the number that chose an Israel land excursion in August 2011. About 221,000 of the 298,000 foreign nationals that entered Israel in August flew into the country, nine percent more than in the previous August. Approximately 27,000 visitors came overland - 21,000 from Jordan (up 29 percent), and 5600 via the Taba-Eilat border crossing, from the Sinai Desert. Eight-Month Stats About 2.3 million foreign visitors entered Israel during the first eight months of 2012. The figure, a record for this eight-month period, is five percent higher than the previous mark, set two years ago, and represents an increase of seven percent over the number for January-August 2011. About 1.9 million of the visitors were classified as tourists, and this too was a new record, while the...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism allocated grants for the construction of 18 new hotels these past 12 months, to add another 2119 hotels to the country’s inventory of rooms, approving 35 requests for grants for a total of NIS 248 million for hotel renovation, expansion and construction, its share...

Mezzo, a French cable TV channel, broadcasting classical music, opera, jazz and world music to 44 countries, is dedicating its programming this October to music and opera from Israel. According to the company’s Musical Director Christophe Winckel, who visited Israel in September, the broadcasts...

The Atlas Hotel Chain, which currently manages seven properties in Tel Aviv, is strengthening its presence in the market with a number of new properties scheduled to open before very long. Work has started already on the chain’s first...

The Dan Gardens Ashkelon completely renovated its swimming pool area a few months ago, reports hotel General Manager Ben Yanover. Improvements included lowering the maximum depth of the pool from 3.6 to 1.9 meters and outfitting it with a slide, changing all the ceramic tiles in it and...

Located opposite Netanya’s southern seacoast, the Q Hotel has opened on the grounds of Netanya’s old Green Beach Hotel, constructed in the 1950s. “Moshe Ashkenazi, who handles my marketing, brought me here a few years ago and tried to interest me in taking over the property,” relates hotel...

A new Aviation Services Law has come into force in Israel, ensuring that passengers receive compensation for flight cancelations, major delays and changes in terms and conditions. The law details the alternatives and support services...

TUI Holland will be introducing a five-month charter series from Amsterdam to Eilat as of October. The planes will land at and depart from Ouvda International Airport. Two weekly flights have been scheduled, and expectations are for about 6000 tourists from Holland to arrive on them, says...

Following the success of its new Nice-Tel Aviv route, which it inaugurated this past April, Air France has started to fly between Marseille and Tel Aviv, a spokesperson for the airline reports. Flights operate three times a week on Airbus A320 craft configured for 178 passengers.

British Airways will be adding a third daily flight on its Heathrow-Tel Aviv route, starting late this coming October. In addition, BA plans to replace the wide-body craft it flies to and from Israel with Airbus A321 airplanes that feature 131 seats in economy and 23 in business class that...

As part of its strategic preparations to integrate 168 new craft in the future (at a cost of €17 billion and in “an effort to increase the global profitability of the fleet's activities,” a spokesperson for Lufthansa explains), the airline will be moving over to Airbus 321 craft - not equipped with in-flight entertainment...

Wizz Air will be flying between Budapest and Ben Gurion Airport as of this coming December. Three flights a week have been scheduled initially, on Airbus A320 craft. Wizz Air joins El Al on this route, on which the Israeli carrier has flown without competition ever since the collapse of Malev early this year.

Arkia Israeli Airlines has signed its first ever purchase agreement with Airbus. The new craft, from the manufacturer’s A230neo series and configured with seating for 220, are being purchased at a cost of about $400 million, and they...

As part of a pilot plan developed with the Israel Airports Authority in an attempt to streamline the check-in process more efficiently at Ben Gurion International Airport, US Airways, which operates non-stop flights between Philadelphia and Tel Aviv, is setting up a series of self-service kiosks at the airport...

Turkish Airlines has increased its weekly frequencies to and from Tel Aviv to 30 flights. Two additional weekly flights are to follow - the first to commence late in September and the other early in October.

Aeroflot has added a second daily flight between Moscow and Tel Aviv. Flights are on Airbus A321 craft, landing on Tuesdays in Tel Aviv. Return flights depart after midnight, early the following day.

National Geographic has included the Israel National Trail in its list of the world’s 20 most “epic trails,” describing them as “…the holy grails of trails across the world” and specifically describing the Israel Trail as one that “delves into the grand scale of biblical landscapes as well as the everyday lives...

The Nahal Me’arot/Wadi el-Mughara Caves, a “Site of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel,” located on the western slope of the Mount Carmel range that comprises the cave sites of Tabun, Jamal, el-Wad and Skhul, has been selected as Israel’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other World Heritage...

The Old Jaffa Visitors Center, located in Kedumim Square, reopened last year after being closed for upgrading and modernization. “The old format showcased little more than an archeological site,” recalls Old Jaffa Development Corporation Tourism Manager Ayal Meirovich. “It wasn’t really maintained...

“Our ‘A Year of Fashion’ will be coming to an end this coming March,” says Ayelet Shlonsky, director of Beit Ha’ir, which once served as the Tel Aviv municipality building. “It helped position us as one of Tel Aviv’s most cutting-edge fashion showcases and heightened our reputation as an...

“We are putting the final touches on the renovation and final development of Hangar #1,” says Haim Saadon, director general of the Old Jaffa Port. “The ground floor space has been rented by shops and restaurants and a new culinary market also has started to operate there Monday...

The ICC - Jerusalem International Conventions Center, in cooperation with Meda-Knassim, is organizing a one-day international convention at the ICC Jerusalem this coming November, that target the rising market of city branding. “The event will bring together some of the most prominent minds in...

Jerusalem’s Bible Lands Museum is marking its 20th anniversary this year with a new exhibition named “Pure Gold,” based primarily on about 400 works in gold, jewelry for the most part, from the third century BC to the first century AD, on loan to the museum, which have been in storage till now, and not...

Work on rehabilitating and upgrading Tiberias’ “suq,” its old market area, has begun, with the intention of transforming it into a theme-based “Coins Market.” In order to assure that business will continue as usual during the time the project is being implemented, temporary modular glass and...

This year’s World Hostel Conference (WHC), organized by GoMio.com and designed to bring together hostel owners and managers from around the world to discuss relevant and important topics related to the budget accommodation industry, a spokesperson explains, is scheduled to...

Since Israel was not included to now in any international beach rating system, the Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection has been rating beaches along the country’s Mediterranean seashore and in Eilat based on cleanliness, the quality of their water quality, parking, facilities, accessibility for...

“We have been in the market for 30 years,” remarks Orly Glassman, director of Forum Travel & Events, “outgoing professional tours, congresses and exhibitions for the most part, though with a small percentage of incoming tourism too. Lately, however, we have been focusing more on the...

A new state-of-the-art hyperbaric rehabilitation center to treat severe diving-related injuries was inaugurated recently at Eilat’s Yosepthal Hospital. A joint project by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, Eilat Municipality and other government agencies, the new facility offers treatment for up to six patients...

Jerusalem’s iconic Montefiore Windmill, located in the Yemin Moshe district, which has stood silent for the past 135 years, is to be renovated and restored to working order, to serve as an educational and tourism site. The cost of the project is in the vicinity of NIS three million. The fa?ade of windmill, which...

The 4th Annual Opera at Masada Festival will take place this coming June. Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Turandot” has been chosen for 2013. It is to be conducted by Maestro Daniel Oren and four performances are scheduled: June 6, 8, 9 and 10. Once again, Eshet Incoming has...

The Ministry of Tourism has been investing in web and social media platforms in China, and only one week after its Chinese-language website went live, over 2.9 million people were exposed to it. This reflects the increased interest in tourism to Israel from China, a Ministry spokesperson says, as evidenced also by a 31 percent increase in incoming tourism from China to Israel between 2010 and 2011. In addition, the Ministry recently launched its own page (http://weibo.com/igto) on the popular Chinese social media website WEIBO, a social network that is similar to Facebook and Twitter and which has over 300 million registered users, and it accumulated about 60,000 followers as of July. Also, a Jerusalem app was recently launched in Chinese for iPhones and iPads. Known as “Next Stop - Jerusalem,” it includes interactive maps, pictures and information about historic sites, museums, public transportation and more. The app can also be found on iTunes at: http://itunes.apple.com/cn/app/id512480431?mt=8 As part of the marketing activities to promote Israel as a tourism destination for the Chinese market, the Israel Government Tourist Office (IGTO) in China has been organizing fairs for tour operators. Also, agreement has been reached for a special edition of National Geographic China that will showcase Jerusalem. “We view China as an important country...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism’s Investment Administration has approved grants for the renovation, construction and/or expansion of six hotels throughout the country, in a move that will add 146 rooms to the existing supply. The total investment by the developers will be over NIS 80 million, of whichץץץ

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 296,000 foreign visitors entered Israel in July 2012, a record high for the month, eclipsing by about six percent the previous record for July, which had been recorded in 2010, and eight...

For the first time in 20 years in which Israel’s hotels operated without a standardized hotel rating system, the Economic Committee of Israel’s Knesset (Parliament) has approved the Criteria for Tourism Services (Hotels) 2012, and these regulations are to serve as the...

The Pastoral Hotel, located on Kibbutz Kfar Blum, in the Upper Galilee, is inaugurating its new 45-room “boutique wing,” and based on work invested in the property this past year to expand to 192 rooms and to renovate it, at a cost of about NIS 18 million, the Pastoral has been...

Work is being completed on the Ashdod West All Suites Hotel, overlooking Lido Beach, the northern section of Ashdod’s Mediterranean Coast, and the hotel is scheduled to open this coming November. It will contain 103 suites between 40-55 m² in size, along with 10 rooms. All rooms...

The Royal Rimonim Dead Sea, which reopened early in 2011 after it had been renovated and rebranded, has inaugurated a VIP lounge for the use of guests accommodated in suites on the basis of a lounge package, or those purchasing such a package while...

A new parking policy has been introduced at the Atlas chain’s Artplus Hotel, Tel Aviv, enabling guests to enjoy free 24-hour parking every day of the week during their stay. There are no limits to the number of entries or exits to the parking facility. The entrance to the parking lot, located...

A bike riding center opened recently at Isrotel’s Beresheet Hotel, Mitzpe Ramon. The new 70m² facility, a cooperative effort by the hotel, Geofun (which specializes in desert bicycle tours) and a local bicycle...

Featuring 133 rooms and suites - and “with about 100 or so available for hotel use at any given time” - the Island Suites Netanya, a 30-storey mixed-use property that opened about three years ago (see EMTT #322) is now under new management, on the basis of a 20 year-lease on...

Meet Our Hoteliers As Israel’s hotel industry grows into maturity, a new generation of hoteliers has begun to make its presence felt. Many of these young managers were bitten by the hotel bug at a fairly early age, either as...

The rooms on the top floor, the seventh, at Jerusalem’s Montefiore Hotel are now being redesigned and upgraded, with work on the project scheduled to be completed before very long. “These used to be three separate rooms, says, Gili Azoulay, manager of the chain that operates...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism, in cooperation with the Tel Aviv Hotel Association and the Association for Tourism Tel Aviv-Jaffa, has published a tender offer for a new tourism portal for Tel Aviv, reports Tel Aviv Hotel Association Secretary General Eli Ziv. “The terms of the offer call for the portal to be...

Green Olive Tours has launched a new West Jerusalem tour. Departing every Sunday and Wednesday morning from New Gate in East Jerusalem, the eight-hour offering for FITs includes about three hours of walking. The itinerary covers the neighborhoods of Musrara and Meah...

The Tel Aviv Museum of Art inaugurated an 18,000+ m2 concrete-and-glass building on its premises earlier in the year, doubling the size of the facility. The new museum wing is centered around a spiraling 26.5-meter-high atrium known as the “Lightfall” and features five levels with rectangular galleries using natural light.

Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov signed a bilateral tourism agreement late in June, with his counterpart from India Subodh Kant Sahai, who was in Israel on a four-day visit at the head of a delegation that included state ministers, members of parliament and senior state officers. The two Ministers stated their goal of doubling the number of tourists traveling between their respective countries within the next three years, with Misezhnikov noting that one way to achieve this would be to open flights from Israel to additional gateways in India, such as Delhi, Calcutta and Goa, along with Mumbai, to which El Al now flies three times a week. The two also announced their intention to work with private airlines, each in his own country, in order to promote charter flights, and they agreed to establish a joint working forum to be comprised of representatives from both sides, to implement the terms of the new agreement as quickly as possible. Tourism from India to Israel According to a report prepared by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, incoming tourism from India has been increasing in recent years, with the number arriving in 2011 - about 40,000 - double those in each...

The Ministry of Tourism's Investment Administration has approved granting subsidies to six projects, to establish and expand hotels in Jerusalem and Nazareth. These comprise 375 hotel rooms of varying standards, including 321 in Jerusalem, at a total...

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 285,000 foreign visitors entered Israel in June 2012, a record high for the month, eclipsing by about nine percent the previous record for June, which had been recorded last year, and 10 percent...

The Tamar Regional Council (Dead Sea) and the Israel Ministry of Tourism launched a new promotional campaign in June, budgeted at around NIS 1.2 million. Headlined “Dead Sea: Wonder of Nature” (and featuring a dedicated website of the same name), it targets markets in Italy, France, Germany...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism is allocating NIS 1.25 million (about $310,000) for tourism incubators this year, based on data showing that they are a vital tool for entrepreneurs during the initial planning stages and during the time their projects are being established. Most of Israel’s 16 tourism...

The Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, is continuing with its ongoing renovations program. Eighty-five rooms and suites on five floors of the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv were totally refurbished and upgraded about four years ago. a process that has been continuing, so that now 190 rooms...

The Vatel International Hotel & Tourism Management Business School, an international business school specializing in Tourism, with particular emphasis on International Hotel Management, is expanding to Tel Aviv, and it has signed a partnership agreement with the...

The St. George Landmark Hotel, rebuilt on the frame of the historical St. George Hotel in East Jerusalem (see EMTT #333), was inaugurated late this past January. Along with a dining room (which also caters to groups on a half-board basis), three fully-equipped meeting rooms with separate coffee...

The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel & Towers has launched its new “Sheraton Social Hour” wine program, as part of a worldwide initiative by the international chain and as the result of responses to a global pilot it initiated in which “…95 percent of guests said they would be ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ to return to another...

Slightly more than 801,000 bed-nights were recorded at hotels in Israel this past June, eight percent more than for June 2011. In cities reporting an increase this year over last June’s numbers, about 277,000 bed-nights were in Jerusalem; nearly 228,000 in Tel Aviv; 74,000 in Tiberias/Around the Sea of...

Having reorganized its operations about 18 months ago and hiring Lior Mahtabi to be in charge of marketing (see EMTT #328), Benny Sivan, owner of Israel tour operator IGT, followed this move by hiring a new general manager for the company, Yoav Sharon (see p. 24). “The truth is that until Lior...

Hundreds of attendees at the 2012 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) joined Israel Tourism Commissioner for North and South America Haim Gutin, Danny Saadon, vice president, El Al Israel Airlines for North and Central America and Dr. Frank Page, President and...

“When the official name of our local area was changed from the Beit Shean Valley Regional Council to the Valley of Springs Regional Council about four years ago, it was also a statement of how we regard ourselves and what we see as our tourism ‘calling card,’ and we began to look into...

Veteran Israel tourism marketer Hatem Mattar, who has been focusing on restaurants, marketing lunches to groups in Jerusalem and Galilee eateries while serving as marketing manager of the Alhambra Palace in East Jerusalem (see EMTT #325), opened H-M Sales & Marketing, his own...

“Desert eco-tourism is our specialty and FIT incoming tourism is our main focus,” states Ariel Ullman, owner of the Mamshit Camel Ranch, located adjacent to the Mamshit-Kurnob Nabatean World Heritage Site not far from Dimona. “Not that this is the only facet of our activities, but it does...

Tourism enterprises and organizations in and around Modi’in, about halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, have come together to form the Modi’in Regional Tourism Association. “The Association was established to bring together everyone in the region involved in tourism and to...

Based on the notion that “…so many people have lost out on a pilgrimage either because their church has never organized one or a group that they booked on failed to achieve the required numbers in order for it to materialize,” Manchester, U.K.-based Israel specialist. ITS Pilgrimages...

“Pray for Hope” is organizing a Holyland pilgrimage group, scheduled to tour Israel early in December 2012, on a trip that will culminate in Jerusalem with a prayer service on 12 December. A number of Christian organizations and institutions are partnering with Pray for Hope in...

The United States Tour Operators Association has accepted an invitation from the Israel Ministry of Tourism to hold its annual conference in 2013, in Israel. The decision to hold the event in Israel was taken last February, in the course of a meeting between the USTOA and Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov, during the latter’s visit to the U.S. The last time the USTOA held such a conference in Israel was in 1995. According to a Ministry of Tourism spokesperson, the USTOA delegates will be given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with Israel’s tourism product and discover the many options for visits to Israel that...

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 321,000 foreign visitors entered Israel in May 2012, a record high for the month, eclipsing by about four percent the previous record for May, which had been recorded two years...

After having invested NIS 2 million (about $530,000) on the development of the new Gospel Trail, which runs from Mount Precipice in Nazareth and ends in Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee shores, (see EMTT #338), the Israel Ministry of Tourism has decided to allocate an additional NIS 1 million in...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism is mounting an advertising campaign directed at North American Christians this summer, as part of its ongoing effort to increase the number of visitors to Israel. The $1.5 million campaign includes print, radio and Internet messages in a variety of media...

National Geographic in France and France’s Voyage network have teamed up to launch a new documentary series on Israel. The series, produced with the help of the Israel Ministry of Tourism and scheduled to debut this coming September, will be called “Visages d’Israel” (Faces of Israel), and it will...

The Israel government has approved a proposal submitted by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov to increase to 28 percent of total investment, grants offered for the development of new hotels in Tiberias, as part of a five-year plan for the city...

During his visit to Belgrade earlier in the year to attend “Sajam Tourizma,” Israel Ministry of Tourism Director, Central & Southern Europe Department Yehuda Shen conducted a seminar for 70 agents, and he also worked on the production of a new Ministry supplement on Israel in Serbian. “It is still...

In cooperation with Hertz in Israel, the Rimonim Hotel Chain has developed packages that include a free “Group E” vehicle (Mazda 2 or similar) including CDW, TP insurance and unlimited mileage, on bookings for stays until 20 January 2013 ,excluding Jewish...

The Nakash Brothers have added another hotel to their portfolio, based on an agreement with members of Kibbutz Ma’aleh Hachamisha, to acquire 74 percent of the kibbutz hotel for a payment of NIS 52 million and rebranding it as an Orchid property. This acquisition is the 11th proprty in the Orchard...

The David InterContinental Tel Aviv has enhanced its concierge product, initiating a dedicated concierge lounge in the hotel, based on a concept developed a couple of years ago by the InterContinental international chain. Located just off the hotel’s entrance lobby and available to all...

Located on a side street leading from Tel Aviv’s Yemenite Quarter to the Carmel Market, Eden House, a 12-room boutique property opened this past February. “We signed a 10-year rental agreement with the property owner,” reveals Sergey Solovyov, who developed Eden House together...

In a recent survey by Airports Council International (ACI), Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport was named one of the top airports in the Middle East for the fifth year in a row The survey ranked airports based on more than 30 parameters voted on by millions of travelers, and described new technologies at Ben...

Although Israel and the European Union finalized an “Open Skies” agreement this past March, the culmination of three years of negotiations, the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee has postponed approval of the agreement, pending further study of the agreement's effect on the national...

Late this past May El Al Israel Airlines inaugurated its new “Economy Class Plus.” The seats in this new dedicated area, situated at the head of economy class and curtained off from it, have been installed so far on all the airline’s Boeing 747-400 craft, which are used primarily on flights between...

Not long after inaugurating its new thrice-weekly Nice-Tel Aviv flights, Air France, which also operates 14 weekly flights between Paris and Tel Aviv, announced its third route into Israel, departing from Marseilles. According to an Air France spokesperson in Israel: “The new Marseilles-Tel Aviv flights is a direct result of the airline’s...

A delegation from Kenya Airways visited Israel late in May and, according to the airline’s regional representative Abraham Joseph, it intends to operate three weekly flights on Boeing 737-800 craft. According to a report in the local media, it has...

Tamares Hotels, which owns and operates Shizen spas and spa properties in Herzliya, Tel Aviv and by the Dead Sea, has signed an agreement with El Al Israel Airlines to take over operating the spa in the airline’s King David Lounge at Ben Gurion...

Gordon Tours, an Israel tour operator now celebrating its 50th anniversary in the field, recently opened a new active travel department, Gordon Active, which has started to offer a variety of new bicycle tours. “The new subsidiary was created with the aim of fostering and developing active...

Elvis Presley fans from North America are expected to descend on Israel next year for the first-ever Elvis Presley Holy Land Tour. The 10-day tour, slated for May 2013 and open to only 100 participants, includes the standard stopping points for a Christian-oriented visit based on the life of ...

About seven years after the Israel Antiquities Association (IAA) recommended that Megiddo Prison be relocated due to the discovery of what may be the earliest Christian prayer house or church in the world, and almost certainly in the entire Middle East, an international tender is being...

According to reports in the local media, plans have been developed to transform the Tel Aviv Port into a tourism area with a “Times Square” feeling, with live television broadcasts and advertisements on its buildings and a night film screening and culture complex in the northern part of the port. About NIS 30 million...

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 354,000 foreign visitors entered Israel in April 2012, a record high for the month, eclipsing by about 12 percent the previous record for the month, which had been recorded two years ago. The figure was also 19 percent higher than that for April 2011. Of those visitor entries this past April, about 296,000 were classified as bona fide tourists (13 percent higher than for April 2011). Israel welcomed about 933,000 visitors from abroad during the first third of 2012, four percent more than the January-April 2011 figure, which was the previous record. Of these, about 793,000 were classified as bona fide tourists - an increase of three percent About 140,000 arrived overland (up eight percent), with about 42,000 (up 30 percent) crossing over to Eilat from the Taba in Egypt’s Sinai Desert. The largest increases overall were registered from countries in the...

After a break of about 25 years, the Israel Ministry of Tourism, in cooperation with the Israel Civil Aviation Authority, the Population Authority and the Judea & Samaria Civil Administration has opened an office on the Israeli...

The Israel cabinet has voted to approve the establishment of a network of bird watching centers. The cost of the project, which is scheduled to begin in about a year, is in the vicinity of NIS 40 million, about NIS 12 million of which will come from the Ministry of Tourism, which heads the project’s...

As reported in EMTT #339, the Isrotel Hotel Chain recently opened Isrotel Gardens, its second hotel in Dead Sea region. “This property is one of the oldest in the area, and when the company bought it in April last year, it was in dire need of renovation,” says hotel...

The Carlton Tel Aviv has just inaugurated its new “Gym & Relax” spa, situated on the fifth floor of the hotel, in place of office space, as part of a project that also entailed creating new offices in the underground level. The new facility, about one year in the preparation and open exclusively to hotel...

The Fattal Hotel Chain is marketing a “Leonardo Hotels Tel Aviv City Break,” on a B&B basis, valid through the end of February 2013 (except for the 5-28 August 2012 period) at each of its Tel Aviv-area properties: Herods Tel Aviv; Leonardo Boutique Tel Aviv; Leonardo Basel Tel Aviv; Leonardo City...

Located in Daliat El-Carmel, between the Druze cities of Daliat El-Carmel and Isifiya, the “Gan Eden” Hotel (“Garden of Eden” in English) is a family-operated property open for close to 3.5 years, which until recently comprised 10 units. Now, an additional 10 suites are available, having...

In a recent edition of the Cond? Nast Traveler, the Akasha Wellbeing Center, a part of the Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem, was one of 35 properties featured in a magazine special listing the world’s best “urban and rural retreats. Pointing to the location of the hotel as just...

The Gilgal Hotel & City Guest House opened on Nes Ziona Street in central Tel Aviv in 2008. “My husband and I purchased the property in 2000 with the intention of transforming it into a three-star-level hotel,” relates Elisheva Damkani, “and we named it Gilgal, which is taken from...

As referred to in EMTT #338, the government of Israel has voted in favor of a proposal by Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov and Minister of Environmental Protection Gilad Erdan (in cooperation with the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Finance), to allocate NIS 833 million, in a five-year...

Smile, a subsidiary of the Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association (IITOA) works to promote special and niche sites and topics. “Israel is such an attractive destination, with a long list of ‘musts,’ so the products we are promoting, almost as a matter of course, may...

“We had a good 2011,” reports Olga Lurie, deputy general manager (and acting general manager) of the Netanya Association for Tourism. “More than half a million bed-nights were recorded, and this trend has been continuing - and in the incoming market as well. Nearly 81,000 overnights were...

Lido, which operates cruise boats on the Sea of Galilee, has added the “Lido 8” to its fleet, reports owner Shuki Granot, and the first sailing took place earlier this year. “I’ve been sailing boats of the Sea of Galilee since the 1990s,” Granot says, “and I have learned over the years...

Superlink Travels, an outbound tour operator from Sri Lanka, which works with Israel tour operator Ophir Tours, has been organizing holyland tours since 1988, has added an extra day to its 2012 Israel pilgrimage package, for a nine-night tour that includes more than 40 biblical sites...

Rosh Hanikra, Israel’s Mediterranean grotto site situated on its northernmost seacoast along the border with Lebanon, has inaugurated guided tours by bicycle or self-driven golf cart, along the beachside promenade, running from the site entrance to the grotto entrance and...

El Al Israel Airlines and American Express have reduced the number of American Express Membership Rewards points required for an El Al bonus ticket or upgrade to Israel, a spokesperson for the airline reports. “The new exchange rate applies to economy, business, and first class and this...

The Israel pavilion at ITB, Berlin, which took place in March, as usual, covered an area of 770 m². Entertainment was provided by a Jerusalem musical ensemble playing on ancient Land of Israel instruments, and a 3-D video presenting Israeli landscapes, both human and natural, from a bird’s-eye view, was screened. About 221,000 entries by visitors from Germany were registered in 2011, an increase in the vicinity of 10 percent over the figure for 2010, and Germany ranked third last year, behind Russia and France only, as the European...

After undergoing a process of complete renovation and redesign, the “Ben Gurion Suite,” named after Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, opened in February at the Rimonim Galei Kinnereth Tiberias in the same suite Ben Gurion used a few times a year on a regular basis for both...

According to statistics released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, about 289,500 foreign visitors entered Israel in March 2012, approximately six percent more than the number visiting Israel in March the previous year. This March’s numbers included 248,300 bone fide tourists...

Having renewed its contract to manage the Isrotel Sport Club, Eilat for an additional 15 years, the Isrotel chain reopened the property early in April, after investing about NIS 40 million in renovating, redesigning and upgrading it. All 312 rooms were totally renovated, as were all the public areas, and a new...

The Shtarkman Erna Hotel, which was established in 1959 as a family hotel in Nahariya, on Israel’s northern Mediterranean Coast within a short walking distance to the beach, has being renewed, redesigned and upgraded by the third generation of Shtarkmans, reports the founders’ grand-daughter...

ITB Berlin took place this year, 7-11 March and was attended by 113,006 trade visitors - a record number - nearly 40 percent of whom came from outside Germany. About 10,000 exhibitors from 187 countries took part as well, and, exhibitors report, “more contracts were signed.” The number...

The latest meeting of the Women’s Forum of the Israel Hotel Association (IHA) was convened late in March at the Tel Aviv Hilton Hotel. The date was chosen right before the Jewish Passover holiday for the attendees to raise a holiday toast. Rami Levi, supermarket, mobile telephone...

The Sharon Hotel Herzliya has just inaugurated its new Sarana Spa, developed one floor below the entrance level of the hotel in an area occupied previously by a health clinic. The 500m² facility, completed over a six-month period, includes a cosmetics room and a 100m² gym overlooking the ...

Israel and the European Union have finalized negotiations on a comprehensive aviation pact. Following eight rounds of negotiations dating back to December 2008, the two sides have agreed to develop a common aviation zone between Israel and the EU, to offer more travel opportunities, more...

Israel and Germany renewed their bilateral civil aviation agreement early in April. Under the terms of the pact, the airlines of both countries will be allowed to operate up to 36 weekly flights on the routes, in place...

Following on the heels of its recent decision to add two additional frequencies to its Luton-Tel Aviv route (see EMTT #338), easyJet, is launching a twice weekly, year-round service from Manchester to Tel Aviv, starting this coming November. The new route, the airline’s 26th from Manchester, will compete...

After a lapse of about a decade, SAS has announced plans to resume frequencies between Scandinavia and Tel Aviv. The airline is to operate regularly scheduled flights between Copenhagen and Ben Gurion International Airport one time a week on Monday, starting early in June, with a Thursday...

Design 2012,” the International Conference for Hotel and Tourist Site Architecture & Design, organized by Israel design publication and conference organizer “Bayit V’Noi” in cooperation with the Israel Hotel Association and with sponsorship provided by a number of bodies including Crowne Plaza...

Israel tour operator Ophir Tours, in cooperation with a tour operator from the Palestinian Authority, has started to market joint Israel-Palestine packages that offer tourists an opportunity, “…to experience the similarities and celebrate the differences” of the...

A new Visitors Center has been inaugurated in Israel’s Knesset (Parliament), featuring over a dozen different themed tours in eight languages - Hebrew, English, Arabic, French, Spanish, German, Russian and Amharic. Named “The Democracy Experience,” it offers general tours of the Knesset, along...

Avis Israel has launched a new product, offering licensed drivers the opportunity to rent a car for the evening or weekend. Entitled “Quickie,” is based on the “Avis on Demand” European product. Cars for evening hire are available at the Quickie rate at any Avis branch in the country, from 4 pm to 9 am, and up...

American Express has launched a “Discover 2012” program to promote Israel as a tourism destination for its cardholders. The new campaign was launched recently in a number of countries, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Mexico, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and Holland. Between...

The Israel government has approved a proposal submitted by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov to increase grants offered for the development of new hotels in Tiberias, to 28 percent, as part of a five-year development plan for the city...

After a break of about 25 years, the Israel Ministry of Tourism, in cooperation with the Israel Civil Aviation Authority has opened an office on the Israeli side of the Allenby Bridge crossing with Jordan, in cooperation with the Israel Civil Aviation Authority, the Population Authority...

According to information released by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the Israel Government Tourism Corporation (IGTC), which is the operational arm of the Ministry, was involved in 120 projects in 2011 - based on NIS 232 million in orders from the Ministry.

IMTM 2012, the 18th International Mediterranean Tourism Market, took place on 14-15 February 2012 at the Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center, Tel Aviv. The 4400 m² of exhibition space was similar in size to the space booked by suppliers in 2011. The 358 booths were slightly more than last year’s 351 - and well above the 307 in 2010 and the 260 in 2009.The number of exhibitors grew from 1120 (in 2011) to 1135, while the number of participating countries dropped slightly from 38 to 36. Trade visitors from abroad jumped substantially by more than 30 percent - from 1050 to 1370 - though the number of hosted buyers declined from 150 to 105. The total number of trade visitors was up slightly from 10,800 to 11,820 and the number of visitors was estimated at about 23,000, up from last year’s 22,000 or so. Next year’s IMTM is scheduled to take place 5-6 February 2013.

Representative of the Israel Ministry of Tourism will be appearing for the first time ever at the annual convention of the Southern Baptists, scheduled to be held this coming June in New Orleans, Louisiana. About 11,000 delegates take part each year in the convention.

After being run in for a number of months, the Israel Ministry of Tourism launched its own Christian Youtube channel late last year (http://www.youtube.com/user/HolyLandVisit?blend=22&ob=5). According to a spokesperson for the Ministry, the initiative was...

Early in February, members of the tourism industry gathered at the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) with the Knesset tourism lobby headed by MK Ofir Okunis, at a meeting attended by a large number of Knesset ...

Late last year the Israel Ministry of Tourism launched the Gospel Trail, a 62 kilometer trail that begins at Mount Precipice near Nazareth and ends at Capernaum, on the northwestern shores of the Sea of Galilee. The route is a series of signposted footpaths and roads that...

Further to the recommendations of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the Israeli government has created a new government corporation overseen by Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov and charged with the responsibility of creating the proper permanent infrastructure at the tomb of Rabbi...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has published its procedures for 2012-3 for developers interested in being eligible for grants to construct new hotels in Israel or expand existing properties, and it has allocated the sum of NIS 120 million for this purpose. Operating via its Investments...

Having taken over as general manager of (the former) Africa Israel little more than one year ago - after serving for no more than four months as the chain’s director of marketing - and changing its brand name to Crowne Plaza & Holiday Inn Hotels Israel (see EMTT #329), Ron Yariv has devoted...

After inaugurating the Herods Tel Aviv last year, presiding over improvements in the Le M?ridien Dead Sea spa, opening the Leonardo Boutique Rehovoth and launching the U Coral Beach Club, the former Club Med property in Eilat (see EMTT #337), the Fattal Hotel Chain has invested about NIS 30...

Orchid Hotel Management has purchased 50 percent of Bayit Bagalil (“House in the Galilee”), situated in the Biria Forest in the Upper Galilee, not far from Rosh Pina, on a plot of land covering about 7.5 acres. The agreement also gives the Orchid chain the right to manage the 26-suite...

“Even though we are connected and share a common passageway, essentially, we are two different hotels, the Ramada, which opened in 1984, and the Royal, a few years later,” explains Gerry Budwig, revenue manager for the complex known as the Ramada Jerusalem. “The Royal is not branded as...

“March marks two years,” says Oded Marcus, who together with partner Gili Gazit founded M&G Tourism in 2010 as an independent marketing and sales company to serve as a platform for independent hotels (see EMTT #323). “Since most of our work is incoming tourism, our natural clients...

With work now well underway on construction and logistics, a new 48-room wing at the Hagoshrim Kibbutz & Resort Hotel, located in the Upper Galilee on Kibbutz Hagoshrim, is scheduled to open on the first day of April this year. The new wing, situated adjacent to the hotel’s main lobby, contains..

The Atlas chain’s Shalom Hotel & Relax Tel Aviv property is the only hotel in Israel to have been included in the list of the “Top 25 Hotels in the Middle East,” by TripAdvisor. It has been included in the ...

Situated on nearly 40 acres of land and featuring four thermo-mineral sulfur springs of different temperatures, which were used as far back as Roman times, as well as a crocodile farm (which also has alligators and gavials), Hamat Gader, situated in the southeastern Golan Heights also opened...

Green Hills, the 40 units remaining at Moshav Shoresh, in the Judean Hills, is now being marketed via agents, with the goal of increasing incoming tourism stays, reports David Szeinuk, the hotel’s director of sales & marketing. “The property used to consist of 134 rooms,” Szeinuk...

The suites on the sixth and seventh floors of the main building of the Alexander Suites, Tel Aviv have been upgraded to “executive suites,” reports the hotel’s Sales Manager Ksenia Gil, with a new design and with the addition of espresso machines. The suites, four of which are 45 m², eight that...

“The Ministry of Tourism has declared Nazareth to be an A-Level tourism destination, meaning that hotel entrepreneurs are eligible to receive a grant of 20 percent on their investment, with a 10 percent grant for new tourist attractions,” explains Tareq Shihada, general director of the...

“Since much of our work is with tourists coming to Israel as part of two-center or even multi-center regional packages, the ‘Arab Spring’ early last year and the uncertainty that accompanied it brought about the cancellation of many groups during the first half of 2011,” reports Nazarene...

Villa Nazareth, situated in the Nazareth city center a few steps away from Mary’s Well and located in a property owned by the Greek Orthodox Church Community Council that had been used previously as a school, opened...

Though officially inaugurated in March 2011 (see EMTT #329), the Mary of Nazareth Center closed down soon afterwards and reopened early in 2012, “due to technical and infrastructure problems,” relates Luc Lagabrielle, who runs the center along with his wife Marie Christine. The facility, which was...

Occupying the top three floors of a new commercial building near Mary’s Well and next to the Rimonim Mary’s Well Nazareth, the 99-room Golden Crowne Old City Nazareth opened for business early in March -“…with a full house, pilgrims from the Czech Republic,” states hotel owner Basheer...

Construction on the four-storey Notre Dame Nazareth began in the year 2000, but the Intifada put an end to the project until it was resurrected a short while ago, and the hotel finally opened for business last year. “There were a number of properties in the same situation back then,” says hotel...

After having been shut for between 2000 and 2009, the Gardenia Nazareth, a 6.75-acre hotel standing on 32.5 acres of land and closed between 2000 and 2009, reopened about one year ago. The hotel, managed in the past by the defunct Moriah hotel chain, is located off the Afula-Nazareth Road...

Al-Mutran, one of the first in a series of hostels that opened in the Old City of Nazareth in recent years, began operations in July 2008 in a building from the mid 1800s. The property offers two sets of four rooms, each set with its own central commons room outfitted with a dining table, computer...

After being closed for renovations between the end of 2010 and mid June 2011, the former Grand New Hotel, a 50-year-old property located in Nazareth’s Al-Mutran neighborhood, reopened as the Tabar Hotel. The hotel, which has 90 rooms, has also entered into a five-year agreement with Vatican...

“The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem owns many properties in the Holy Land, and it decided a couple of years ago to balance its expenditures with income from commercial enterprises based on some of them, and not only rely on donations,” explains Ihab Sabbah, head of the Patriarchate’s Strategic...

A family business established in 1981, O.S. Tours Travel, headquartered in East Jerusalem, has been managed in what its current Managing Director Shukri Abu Hamdan terms “a more systematic way,” since he and his brother took over the company after their father had passed away. “Basically, our father...

Tel Aviv took first place as the winner of the gaycity.com “Best of Gay Cities 2011 Challenge” presented by American Airlines. In announcing the results, the website wrote: “The gay capital of the Middle East is exotic and welcoming with a Mediterranean c’est la vie attitude.” Tel Aviv received...

After operating as a small local eatery for more than a decade, Zaitoona, located at Umm El-Fahem on the main Hadera-Tiberias road, reopened about one year ago after undergoing renovations and expansion. More recently the restaurant, which specializes in Middle Eastern cuisine, has been...

After being the only restaurant on Kibbutz Ein Gev’s Sea of Galilee shores for dozens of years, the kibbutz’s fish restaurant has been joined on the dock by a (privately owned) kosher meat restaurant working with both FITs and organized groups, While the fish restaurant is on the...

The Noble Energy Science Park, a new science park named in honor of the company that provided the lead grant for establishing it, opened at Haifa’s Madatech museum complex this past October, dedicated to preserving, popularizing and promoting the cultural heritage...

“The fact is we operate the youngest fleet of planes of any Israeli airline,” remarks Dori Shoshan, vice president, marketing for the newly renamed Israir Group, which includes Israir Airlines and Natour, an outbound wholesaler marketing organized tours. “We have four new planes - Airbus 320s...

A new tourism center opened recently at Wassat Junction in the northern Golan Heights. It consists of the Golan Heights Artists House Gallery, which exhibits and sells works of local artists, who can meet with groups when booked in advance. There is also another gallery/shop, displaying...

The “Love Yacht,” a seven-meter-long yacht with a 1.8-meter draught and a 12-meter mast, has started to offer private Sea of Galilee cruises of varying lengths and a number of different itineraries around the lake. The six-seat Beneteau yacht entered the Sea of Galilee this past September...

As of 20 March 2012, El Al Israel Airlines will be limiting the number of pieces of baggage it allows passengers in all of its classes on all of its routes, to be checked in free of charge, to one piece weighing no more than 23 kg. This past November the one-piece regulation with a 23 kg. maximum...

Starting in April, Air France will begin offering direct flights between Nice and from Tel Aviv to Nice. The new route is based on three weekly flights - on Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturdays - operated on either Airbus A319 or A320 craft configured for 178 seats.

Low-cost carrier easyjet has reported an increase of 55 percent in the number of passengers that flew last year on its routes to Israel from London, Geneva and Basel. It carried more than 225,000 passengers on these routes in 2011,which met company targets, an easyjet ...

Israel was ranked fourth in the Middle East region in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report for 2011. As the report states: “Israel is ranked fourth in the region, dropping 10 places to 46th overall. Israel benefits from its cultural attributes, including a number of World Heritage...

Situated near the Kaduri Youth Village in northern Israel, the country’s first Olympic facility for horse racing and BMX cycling competitions is under construction, enabling Israel to submit bids to host international competitions in both of these sports. Plans call for the track to be completed...

Two new fashion and fashion accessories compounds have opened in the departures area of Ben Gurion International Airport, combining the four duty-free fashion shops that operated at the airport until now. The new compounds, about 200 m² and 330 m² respectively, are managed by...

Kibbutz Yahel, situated off the main highway to and from Eilat and about 75 kilometers north of the city, has signed a partnership agreement to develop a large commercial complex and tourist rest area designed in the style of a Moroccan khan, fronted by an 18-meter tower. In addition to a...

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 263,000 visitors entered Israel this past December - a two percent drop from the number arriving in December 2010. These included about 215,000 tourists spending at least one night in the country (one percent less than for the comparable period last year), and about 48,500 others arriving for one-day visits (seven percent less than for December 2010). Some 3.4 million foreign visitors were welcomed at Israel’s airports and other border crossing points in 2011, two percent less than for January-December 2010. Among them were 2.8 million bona fide tourists - a one percent increase over the number that came during in 2010 - and another 542,000 or so day visitors, including 237,000 cruise ship tourists on one-day land excursions (up nearly 41 percent).

The annual conference of the Israel Hotel Association took place late this past December at the Dan Panorama Hotel, Tel Aviv. Israel Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom and Eyal Gabai, former director general of the Office of the Prime Minister, addressed the gathering on geopolitical and...

After more than a year of negotiations, reports Ilan Brenner, Executive Assistant General Manager, Marketing for the Inbal Jerusalem, the hotel has joined the Preferred Hotel Group as a member of its “Preferred Hotels & Resorts” category: “the first Preferred Hotel in Israel, and also...

With the end of the franchise agreement between the Fattal Hotel Chain and Club Med under which the chain’s 285-room Coral Beach property in Eilat has been operating as the Coral Beach Club Med for the past eight years or so years, the hotel has shut down, and when it reopens ...

The Rimonim Hotel Chain is investing more than NIS 1 million in renovating and upgrading the Neve Ativ Resort Village, on Mt. Hermon. A new lobby/reception area has started to operate in the central building and all the wood huts have been redecorated and refurbished, with new...

The Ophel City Wall site in the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park - a complex of buildings uncovered along the route of the fortifications from the First Temple period (10th-6th centuries BC) - is now open to the public and on view at the Davidson Center, in the vicinity of the...

Machne, which organizes tours and other activities in Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market, has started to offer a “Shuk Bites” ticket, enabling tourists to experience the market’s flavors and tastes on their own. “Couples, small groups and individuals no longer...

Reuven Filo, who has been involved in tourism and gastronomy in Israel for the past 20 years, both as a restaurateur and hotelier, has founded “More,” a company that focuses on offering culinary experiences for tourists visiting Jerusalem in particular, but elsewhere in Israel as well. “We have...

According to official government figures (see p. 4), 2.4 percent fewer people visited Israel last year than those that arrived in the country the previous year, though the number of bona fide tourists - those staying for one night at least - increased 0.6 percent. Arrivals by sea were up 5.4 percent, land arrivals...

“I don’t anticipate that 2012 will be any better than 2011, which itself came after a year of stability in the market,” remarks Ady Gelber, owner & CEO of Isram World, the New York-based wholesaler that specializes in tourism to Israel and operates Isram Israel, its own tour operation...

Isram World is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion, it is offering a 20 percent discount to travel agents and their friends and family on a selection of tours in 2012, based on a seven-night minimum stay.

Having positioned itself as one of Israel’s prominent museum cities and attracting a growing number of Israeli visitors year after year, the Municipality of Holon is now aiming its sights on the incoming market. “We now host about a million people a year, mostly Israelis,” says Rami Aharoni, director...

The Holyland Sailing Company has been operating wooden boats to take tourists on Sea of Galilee sailings for 30 years - a few years after the first-century ‘Jesus Boat’ was discovered. “We started to work in 1992 with two wooden boats, ‘John’ and ‘Peter,’ named. like all of our vessels...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has published updated eligibility criteria for hotels to receive grants for upgrading and improvements, with NIS 10 million earmarked for this project. “We believe that these grants will serve as an incentive for hoteliers to renovate and upgrade their properties in preparation for the introduction of the new hotel classification system, slated to begin some time in 2012,” remarks the Ministry’s Director General Noaz Bar-Nir. “Obviously, tourists that enjoy a pleasant hospitality experience in a modern facility, where attention has been devoted to environmentally friendly construction and accessibility and where they feel that they receive value for money, will return, and they will serve as good tourism...

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 315,000 visitors entered Israel this past November - a two percent increase over the number arriving in November 2010. These include about 248,000 tourists spending at least one night in the country (one percent more than for the comparable period last year), and 67,000 others arriving for one-day visits. Some 3.1 million foreign visitors were welcomed at Israel’s airports and other border crossing points during the first 11 months of the year, two percent fewer than for January-November 2010. These include 2.6 million bona fide tourists - a one percent increase over the number that came during the first 11 months of 2010 - and another half million or so day visitors (a drop of 16 percent), including 212,000 cruise ship tourists on one-day land excursions (up 40 percent). About 346,000 visitors entered Israel this past October, a 14 percent decease over the number arriving in October 2010, a drop the Ministry attributes to matters relative to the Jewish calendar and the dates of the holidays.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has launched a campaign among owners of b&b accommodations, to adopt the new Israel Bed and Breakfast (IBB) standard that it and the Galilee Development Authority have developed and supervise. Based on what it perceives as a need for uniformity...

As we draw closer to the opening of the 18th International Tourism Market (IMTM 2012), organized by Ortra Ltd. and Israel Travel News Ltd. (which produces and publishes EMTT), scheduled to take place on 14-15 February 2012 at the Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center, a number of additional...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has instituted new regulations governing which businesses are eligible to be recognized as an approved business for tourists, making tourists purchasing good in them eligible for a VAT refund upon departing the country. The new regulations...

Following a visit to WTM, London, where he officially opened the Israel pavilion, Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov traveled to France to meet with leaders of the Jewish and Christian communities and with leading tourism wholesalers. He also sat down with the French Minister...

Returning to Jerusalem from one of his many visits to the countries for which he is responsible, Israel Ministry of Tourism Director, Central & Southern Europe Department Yehuda Shen speaks of the difficulties in increasing the number of annual visitors from Hungary and Poland...

Early this past December the Fattal Hotel Chain inaugurated the Leonardo Boutique Rehovoth, Israel’s first hotel in Rehovoth, situated in the city’s hi-tech Science Park, adjacent to the Weizmann Institute. The property, developed at a cost of $20 million, is the chain’s second “boutique” brand...

Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities In keeping with Israel’s 1999 Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law and based on new Israeli regulations governing accessibility in public buildings, all hotels in the country will be required to met accessibility...

Having started activities in 1937 as a non-profit organization offering hostel accommodations in Kfar Vitkin (between Herzliya and Netanya), the Israel Youth Hostel Association now operates hostels throughout the country, those that it owns as well as others based on long-term strategic agreements, and it is a member of the International Federation of Youth...

Two Jerusalem hotels have been rated among the top 10 Middle Eastern Hotels, in the Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards survey. The Inbal Jerusalem came in fourth in the entire Middle East, while the David Citadel was sixth, in a tie with Jordan’s Grand Hyatt Amman. Nearly 29,000 readers participated...

According to the terms of an offer, valid through the end of February 2012, tourists booking a minimum three-night stay at the Jerusalem Inbal will receive a rental car courtesy of Hertz Israel - a standard size car H category (Mazda 3 or similar) including unlimited km, CDW and...

Opened in August 2010 as a suites hotel (see EMTT #322), the Diaghilev located in a Tel Aviv heritage building, has been enjoying success, states hotel owner Avi Ifrach with an average occupancy rate that has been in the vicinity of 85 percent. “None of this has been based...

Shimon Kipnis has been appointed general manager of the Palm Beach Club, Acre. His last position was as general manager of the Scots Hotel, Tiberias. Kipnis, who holds a certificate in Hotel Management from Israel’s Techion Institute as well as a B. A. degree in Hotel Management & Hospitality...

Yochai (Joey) Eisner has been appointed general manager of the Ramon Suites, Mitzpe Ramon. Eisner, a veteran of the Israel’s hotel industry, returned to the country a few years ago to manage the Marina Hotel, Tel Aviv after having worked in Florida. Eisner, who holds a BS degree in Hotel & Restaurant...

Ishay Tel-Zur has been appointed general manager of Tamar Residence Jerusalem, which opened earlier this year (see EMTT #334). Tel-Zur is currently completing a Bachelors Degree in Management & Tourism at the Hadassah Institute, specializing in Hotels. He worked in Eilat between...

A new regulation by Israel’s Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority has come into effect, making it possible for people booking airline tickets for round-trips flights at a travel agency in Israel, to cancel them. Until now this protection was only afforded to those purchasing tickets...

Austrian low-cost airline FlyNiki, a subsidiary of Air Berlin, has announced its intention to operate three weekly flights on the Tel Aviv-Vienna route. The airline is planning three roundtrip flights a week, and plans call for the series to begin some time this coming February. Israel ground handler for FlyNiki is Holiday...

Arkia Airlines has developed plans for flights between Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea, using 72-seat ATR craft to fly passengers to and from the Dead Sea’s Masada Airfield, Dov Airfield, Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion International Airport. As part of this effort, the airline will also offer spa...

As of late October, Czech low-cost carrier Smartwings has been operating new regularly scheduled flights between Ruzyne International Airport, Prague and Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv. Four weekly flights have been scheduled, using Boeing 737-800 aircraft with...

Israel has been voted the world’s second-leading tourism and sightseeing destination by the readers of National Geographic Russia, following Italy, which came in first, and just before Holland, which was third. More than 140,000 readers participated...

The “Images of Jaffa” Visitors Center has inaugurated a new program based on the 4000-year history of Old Jaffa, arguably the world's most ancient port city. The presentation uses what a spokesperson terms “…advanced tools, a unique archeological display on the port ‘pier,’ Jaffa's timeline...

A new salt room clinic opened last year in Arad, as a treatment center to deal with breathing problems and to purify breathing. The facility features live fish that nibble on dead skin - as a treatment for skin diseases such as psoriasis and others - as well as massages, and Chief of Staff Meir Weiss, a masseur...

““All in all, 2011 has been a successful year,” states Israel Ministry of Tourism Deputy Director General, Marketing Administration Oren Drori, “and this year once again, signs point to our welcoming more than three million visitors from abroad. The Ministry has played its part in this achievement, but so has the industry, and we can’t discount its importance.” Drori admits that the year started with even higher expectations, based on the momentum generated by the excellent way 2010 ended, “…but realities change. The ‘Arab Spring,’ nagging economic uncertainty and economic troubles in the U.S. and parts of Europe, the uncertainty leading up to the bid by the Palestinian Authority at the United Nations this past September to be accepted for membership and the fear of what would happen in the aftermath of this bid - each of these had a negative affect on incoming tourism to...

The Israel Government Tourist Office will be launching the first volume of the Hidden Gems Trilogy at this year’s World Travel Market. The Hidden Gems Trilogy is a brand new compilation of experiential products that the Tourist Office is making available to allow the travel trade to upgrade...

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, close to 284,000 visitors entered Israel this past September - a five percent increase over the number arriving in September 2010. These are the highest figures for any September, a Ministry of Tourism...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has decided to invest significant efforts and sums in infrastructure, marketing and special events, to help Eilat regain its former status among world-class tourism centers and help it compete on the international stage with resort destinations elsewhere...

The King David Hotel, Jerusalem finished renovations to 72 rooms and nine suites on the hotel’s fifth and sixth floors this past spring. “It was a significant project,” relates the hotel’s Operations Manager Dror Danino. “All of them were rebuilt from scratch...

Improvements have been carried out at the Le Meridien Dead Sea, which is managed by the Fattal Hotel Chain, reports hotel General Manager Rani Shitrit. New menus have been introduced and show kitchens for frontal cooking set up in the hotel’s main dining room, with an emphasis...

After being asked to serve as Israel representative for the U.S.-based Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA), Ronit Copeland returned recently from Miami Beach Florida, where she served as one of the judges at the BLLA’s International Yearly Awards Ceremony for boutique...

The Isrotel Hotel Chain has signed an agreement to pay NIS 127,710,000 (about $25 million) for a 1.4-acre plot of land in Jerusalem, in the Ba’aka-German Colony area, where it plans to construct a hotel, its first in Jerusalem in a number of years. “It will be developed as a deluxe...

As reported in EMTT #330, Shai Asia has been appointed vice president, sales & marketing for Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts. “Though I managed hotels for quite a while before moving to marketing, my first job in the industry was in the field of sales and marketing to business clients...

“This year has been slightly better for us than 2010,” reveals Bruno de Schuyter, general manager of the Inbal Jerusalem, “even though occupancy overall has been lower. Tourism acted very differently this year. For example, the first quarter is usually relatively weak at the Inbal; this year...

“As with any hotel company, things don’t get done all at once, but now we’re in the final year of a five-year plan to renovate and upgrade our three hotels - in Jerusalem, Eilat and Tiberias - a project in which we will have invested NIS 22 million at least,” says Israel Hayat, general...

Having taken over management of the Yad Hamshona Country Hotel, overlooking the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, about two months ago, veteran Israeli hotelier Rachael Goldberg got down to work right away and one of her first orders of business was to revamp the...

A verandah adjacent to the dining room in Jerusalem’s King Solomon Hotel has been enclosed in glass and added as an extension to it. It has been equipped with new chairs and tables and it can seat up to 80 diners at a time. Other recent improvements at the hotel are in-room...

“We’re a hotel chain in the process of change,” remarks Orr Bareket, vice president, marketing for C Hotels, who also serves as the chain’s general manager, “and our newly redesigned offices in Petakh Tikva, which have been modernized and upgraded, symbolize the dynamic nature...

Tiberias’ Arbel Hotel (known at various times in the past as the Hod and the Daphna), has been placed in the hands of the management company that also operates the Deborah Hotel and Golden Beach hotels in Tel Aviv and the Arcadia Spa Eilat as part of the newly branded Arcadia...

After years of delays the Jerusalem light rail system began service this past August. Only part of the system has been operational so far; the entire system is expected to be up and working by the end of the year When all the traffic lights are installed so that the trains are given the right of way over...

Based in the Pastoral Hotel, Kibbutz Kfar Blum in the Upper Galilee, the Hula Valley International Bird Festival, part of “A Winter of Birds” birding event in the Galilee designed to be of interest to both local and international birding enthusiasts and professionals - is scheduled to take place...

The City of David National Park now remains open Thursday evenings until 10:30pm, and it is offering evening tours, complemented by harp music in the “King’s Garden” and lighting designed to highlight the on-site antiquities. Last entrance to the site is one hour before...

El Al Israel Airlines and Canadian airline company WestJet have signed an interline agreement for flights on the Canadian airline’s routes. Based on the new accord, El Al passengers can purchase a combination ticket that includes flights from and to any of WestJet’s 30 destinations in Canada, Florida...

The Bible Lands Museum, Jerusalem is showcasing a new exhibition called “Sound the Shofar: A Witness to History,” scheduled to run until 28 February 2012. The exhibition traces the history of the shofar (Jewish ceremonial ram’s horn)with a display of “shofaroth” (the plural form...

A new Jordan River baptism site is being prepared in the Bethsaida Park, a part of the Jordan River National Park, in the lower Golan Heights overlooking the Sea of Galilee, and it is expected to open to the public in a very short time. “Bethsaida was one of the most important places for Jesus...

Israel tour operator Kenes Tours has been selected as a Virtuoso onsite agent. Virtuoso is a network of the travel agencies, and a travel network comprising over 6000 travel advisors and associated with over 300 agencies in 22 countries.

U.K. tour operator and Israel specialist ITS, based in Manchester, U.K. is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and Adrian Cohen, the company’s co-founder and co-director, sees this milestone...

More than 6000 Christians from over 100 countries stayed in Israel between October 11 and 18 for the annual Feast of Tabernacles, hosted and organized by the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem. This year’s convention, the largest annual tourism event in Israel, attracting pilgrims and heads of Evangelical communities worldwide, included visits to...

Neot Kedumim, Israel’s Biblical Landscape Reserve, located not far from Ben Gurion International Airport, has inaugurated a new walking path, “to meet the needs of visitors that require an easy, accessible path, one that can accommodate all types of wagons and similar modes...

Alhambra Palace Jerusalem, which had closed down about 20 years earlier after serving as the foremost cinema house in East Jerusalem, reopened about two years ago as an operation offering lunch on route to tourists visiting Jerusalem (see EMTT #315). Less than a year later, the company...

The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, in cooperation with the Israel Airports Authority, has mounted an exhibition at Ben Gurion International Airport, of posters that showcase some of the finest pieces in the museum’s collection of about half a million different objects. The 2x1.4-meter posters have been...

To mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Spain, Madrid’s Prado Museum has lent El Greco’s “St. John the Evangelist” to the Israel Museum, where it is being exhibited in the Old Masters Galleries. The painting will be on display at the museum until 15 January 2012.

Ishai Gabinet founded and developed Holy Steps in the late 1990’s as a company producing and marketing souvenir products, from key rings to inner soles, made of earth certified as coming from the Garden of Gethsemane on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives, which he compresses and bonds...

The Arab Hotel Association (AHA) is the umbrella organization uniting all the hotels in East Jerusalem and the Palestinian Authority. In advance of the upcoming Christmas season, the editor of EMTT held discussions with a number of Bethlehem-area hoteliers, to be updated...

After offering home-stay options in Beit Sahour (just outside of Bethlehem), Green Olive Tours recently initiated an East Jerusalem home-stay program for tourists. Overnight accommodations, complete with home-cooked meals, are with Muslim families in Jerusalem’s Shuafat or Beit Hanina neighborhoods.

In preparation for the fall 2011 tourism season, the Israel Ministry of Tourism is investing more than NIS 40 million (nearly $11 million) to strengthen Israel’s tourism marketing efforts abroad. The campaign, aimed at the Ministry’s target markets - the U.S., Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Scandinavian countries, along with others like Poland and Brazil, deemed by the Ministry to have promising potential - and with separate messages to different market segments, includes advertisements in the written media, on billboards, in tourism publications, on tv and radio, and it also take advantage of social networks and other Internet options. Together with these promotional efforts, activities will also be carried out vis-?-vis members of local tourism industries in the target countries - participation in trade fairs and seminars, pr activities, recruitment of additional wholesalers to market Israel, expansion of the pool of professionals marketing Israel and the number of seats on flights to Israel, and more.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has allocated NIS 500,000 for the training of guides that are fluent in languages that are in demand. The program is a continuation of that initiated late last year at a cost of NIS 360,000 - 30 grants of NIS 12,000 each awarded to students possessing in-demand language skills. Currently, 10 Spanish-speaking students, seven that speak Portuguese, six that are...

The American Colony, Jerusalem has invested about $1 million in totally renovating an old two-storey building on its premises to serve as long-stay accommodation units. “There is strong demand for long-term accommodations in this part of Jerusalem, especially on the part of diplomats, companies, foreign...

The 164-unit Ramada Hotel & Suites, Netanya, located by the South Netanya shore overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, opened for business this past August, with a large percentage of its first guests coming from Russia and France. “We have been doing surprisingly well for a new property,” adds the...

The Brown Hotel, located in southern Tel Aviv in a building transformed from a bank, opened in October 2010. The hotel, which sells all of its rooms on a b&b basis, offers 30 rooms in four different categories. Twenty-one of them are “Classic,” says Marketing & Sales Manager Verena Fehn, designed to...

Prior to the onset of the Jewish New Year (5772), the Israel Hotel Association hosted its annual new year’s reception at the Tel Aviv Hilton Hotel. The new status report on Israel’s hotel industry, prepared by the IHA, was distributed at the event, with a forward by IHA President...

Tamar Resorts & Residences, a hotel management company owned by Israel tourism veteran Danny Rubinstein and which recently launched its first property in Israel, the Tamar Residence - Jerusalem (see EMTT #333), has been selected to serve as owners’ representative of the...

The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel & Towers has been selected as the 18th World Travel Awards best business hotel in Israel for 2011. Votes for the award were cast by 183,000 travel professionals, including travel agencies, tour and transport companies and tourism organizations in over 160 countries around the world.

Pastoral Kfar Blum, the hotel located at Kibbutz Kfar Blum, in the Upper Galilee, is investing NIS 28 million (about $8 million) in upgrading and expansion, reports hotel General Manager Dubi Ben Ari. “We invested about NIS 9 million between 2009-2011 in improving the hotel, renovating...

A new hotel area is now being completed as part of Tiberias’ Aviv Hotel complex, located opposite the entrance to the Rimonim Galei Kinnereth. The original building, constructed early in the 20th century as the HaEmek Hotel, was renovated in the year 2000 to serve as a 100-bed youth...

Israel tour operator Ophir Tours has inaugurated a series of what it describes as “…programs based on sustainable values: preserving nature; traveling without harming the environment; reducing usage of polluting energies, and cooperating with and contributing to the local community.” Bird watching itineraries based on two professional...

International Travel & Congresses has inaugurated a new subsidiary, Medical Tourism Israel (MTI), designed to serve as a facilitator for medical tourism to Israel. “We’re always reaching, searching and developing new markets and interests in various spheres, not just as ‘business...

This year once again, the Jerusalem Development Authority, in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s office and the Jerusalem Municipality, is organizing its annual “Jerusalem Knights in the Old City” festival, managed and produced by the Ariel Municipal Company. The upcoming event has...

A survey carried out by the Ministry of Tourism to evaluate tourism satisfaction by visitors to Israel in 2010 shows increases in many areas over the data for the previous year, a Ministry spokesperson says. The survey, based on interviews with 27,000 tourists, gave highest marks to the country’s archeological sites (4.5 out of 5), to personal safety (4.2), nightlife (4.1) and how they were treated by the Israeli public at large (4). Cleanliness in public areas, security checks and airport installations - including restaurants and taxi service - were awarded somewhat lower scores (between 3.4-3.8). The survey also showed that 24 percent of the tourists were Jews and 68 percent were Christians. The average stay was 11 nights. Seventy-seven percent of the tourists visited Jerusalem; 56 percent visited Tel Aviv; 51 percent came to the Dead Sea; 35 percent to Tiberias and 33 percent to Nazareth. Forty-three percent of the tourists were return visitors.

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, close to 271,000 visitors entered the country this past August - three percent lower than the figure for August 2010. About 2.2 million foreign visitors entered Israel during the first eight months of 2011, two percent lower than the figure for...

The Moscow branch of the Israel Government Tourist Office has been awarded a prize by ATOR (the Association of Tour Operators of Russia) for the quality of its marketing and public relations activities in 2010. Fifteen different national tourism organizations from all over the world were in...

The Fattal Hotel Chain completed its wide-scale expansion about two years ago, growing to a chain that manages 30 hotels in Israel - the latest being a new property in Rehovoth, scheduled to be inaugurated before the end of the year. In a move designed to deal with the new reality...

The Isrotel Lagoona, Eilat has upgraded its all-inclusive product to “all-inclusive plus,” a spokesperson for the hotel chain says. “We’ve decided to upgrade our f&b offerings and now we’re also offering lunch in the hotel’s ‘Neviot’ poolside restaurant, which features...

Prima Too, the Prima Hotel Chain’s second property in Tiberias, located next to the veteran 93-room Prima Galil, opened last October after renovations to it, the former Kolton Hotel, had been carried out for more than a year, nearly a decade after Prima had purchased it. The hotel...

Just prior to the recent deterioration in diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey, four members of TUROB (Turkey’s Touristic Hotels & Investors Association) - the president and vice president, Timur Bay?nd?r and Vedat Ba?aran respectively, Istanbul Turkey Country General Manager...

Israel tourism veteran Danny Rubinstein, who has worked in hotel marketing and also owned and operated a timeshare franchise, among his many activities in the field, has opened the first of what he states will be a chain of fully serviced apartment hotels in Israel. The new property, a part...

Work is continuing on reconfiguring the old St. George Hotel in East Jerusalem, a property that was inaugurated in 1965 as a five-star property by the late King Hussein of Jordan and served as a meeting place for Jordanian government officials before 1967. It closed down a number...

The Dona Gracia Hotel Tiberias and the Dona Gracia Museum share the same building and often the same space in it. Recently, a new reception desk was inaugurated at the hotel, opposite the entrance, and plans are now being drawn up to use the old reception area as a new museum...

The Kfar Giladi Kibbutz Hotel, located in the Upper Galilee, has started to offer equipment and services for bicycle riders, reports General Manager Itay Eshel. These include bicycle rental, maps marked with biking routes, certified guides to accompany groups or FITs, bicycle storage, special...

At a conference held in Tel Aviv in mid July, the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa presented its new approach to hotel development in the city, based on a number of elements chosen for the purpose of simplifying and streamlining the process for receiving permission to construct new hotels...

Mentioning that not everything on his list had been finalized for the coming winter season, Eilat Hotel Association General Manager Shabtai (Shabi) Shay released an update late in June for winter 2011-12 flights to Eilat. Speaking to EMTT early in September, Shay reiterated that as...

Israman, Israel’s annual Iron Man triathlon competition, is scheduled to take place on January 20, 2012 in Eilat. Travel and accommodations are being organized by Israel tour operator International Travel & Congresses - in properties belonging only to Isrotel, an Israman sponsor. The full Israman...

After an investment of about $2.3 million spent on renovations and improvements, the baptism site on the River Jordan known as Qasr el Yahud, considered to be where John the Baptist baptized Jesus and the place where the Children of Israel crossed the River Jordan into Canaan, is now...

Ever since the need for visas was cancelled this past February for tourists visiting Israel from the Ukraine, tourism from that country has expanded significantly, a spokesperson for the Israel Ministry of Tourism reports. About 50,000 tourists from the Ukraine came to Israel during the first half of 2011, up 106 percent over the figure for the first six months the previous year and 67 percent higher than for the comparable period in 2008, when the highest number of Ukrainian tourists was registered. This past June alone, 7430 bona fide tourists...

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, close to 274,000 visitors entered the country this past July - two percent lower than the figure for July 2010. About 1.9 million foreign visitors entered...

According to statistics provided by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, from May and through mid July its Investments Administration, which began operating a little more than one year ago, received 32 requests for investment grants from developers interested in either constructing ...

Work on upgrading the Daniel Dead Sea has been continuing, as part of a project that began when the Tamares Chain took over the property about four years ago, rebranded it and embarked on a program of overall renovations (see EMTT #288). After having completed renovations to its “Club” rooms...

“We decided about a year ago, to embark on a new five-year business strategy, and one of our primary goals was to add a new hotel every year to our portfolio, with emphasis on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, in order to expand our involvement in areas of Israel outside of Eilat,” explains...

The lobby lounge area at the Renaissance Tel Aviv, was redesigned recently, the latest step in a program of improvements to the hotel that began a number of years ago and continued last year with the health club and pool area and the first group of rooms (see EMTT #320). A small business...

Improvements were introduced at the 24-room Armon Hayarkon Hotel, Tel Aviv earlier in the year, reports General Manager Avi Agajany. The rooms have been outfitted with new bed frames, mattresses and bed coverings, as well as with bathroom hair dryers, upgraded bathroom...

Continuing with the Tel Aviv’s Hilton ongoing program of room renovations, scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2014, all the accommodation units on floors nine through 16 have been redone, relates Hilton Israel’s Director of Marketing Maya Chass. “We had been...

The Jordache Corporation has purchased the Hod Hotel, located on the shores of the Dead Sea. Jordache is the majority shareholder in Arkia and it is also owner of Israel’s Orchid Park Plaza hotel chain.

Guided by the fact that more women than ever before occupy key positions in Israel’s hotel industry, Romi Gorodiski, assistant secretary general of the Israel Hotel Association, decided about three years ago to establish the Women Hoteliers Forum. In an interview to EMTT about a year and...

According to a report in a local daily newspaper, EasyJet, the low-cost carrier that has been flying to Israel for the past three years and now flies to Tel Aviv from London, Basel and Geneva, is considering the addition of new flights to Israel from Paris, Madrid and Rome. In addition, as of October...

Sea-Gal, a yacht club based in the Herzliya Marina, is offering monthly two-hour full-moon cruises. One option is a cruise on a sailboat with a capacity for up to 14 passengers; another, for up to 23 passengers, is on a catamaran. Both full-moon versions comes with a ...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism, and the National Roads Company and Civil Administration for Judea and Samaria, have reopened the access road to the Monastery of St. George in Wadi Qelt, in the Judean Desert. An inaugural event took place after the completion of five months...

Manara Cliff, located near Kiryat Shmona in the Upper Galilee, reopened recently after having been shut down for renovations to its cable car and other systems. In addition, plans have been made to further develop its rope park and also to develop bicycle paths to the cable car. Among its...

The Jewish National Fund (JNF), an Israeli quasi-governmental, non-profit organization specializing in the development of Israeli land and infrastructure and involved especially - though not exclusively - in planting trees, has launched a new “Forester for a Day” program, to involve...

After approving a proposal introduced by Minister of Transport & Road Safety Yisrael Katz about one year ago to allocate funding for detailed plans for a new international airport for Israel, to be located at Timna, about 18 kilometers north of Eilat (see EMTT #321), the Israeli government has...

The Israel Ministry of Transport & Road Safety has published a request for information (RFI) to build a high-speed railway to Eilat. The ministry says that it wants to build the line as either a BOT (build, operate, transfer) or PFI (private finance initiative) project, including...

In addition to its “Exodus Trail” tour,” a desert biking and hiking eco-vacation for FITs, featuring a number of guaranteed departure dates (two pax minimum) for 2011 and 2012 (see EMTT #327), Desert Shade, based in the area of Mitzpe Ramon, has started to market “The Zin Desert...

By Amnon Lipzin (former director of the IGTO, Chicago) One of the first branches of the Israel Government Tourist Office - after New York - the IGTO Chicago, responsible for promoting and marketing Israel in the Midwest U.S., first opened in the 1950s. It closed down during the second Intifada but was reopened four years ago and, until his recent departure, was managed by Uri Steinberg. “Tourism from the Midwest accounts for about 15 percent of...

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, close to 262,000 visitors entered the country this past June - one percent higher than the figure for June last year and up 25 percent when compared to June two years ago. Of those...

As reported in EMTT #322 and with a follow-up two months later, the former Leonardo Plaza Tel Aviv (branded prior to that as the Sheraton Plaza Tel Aviv), closed down last December for a period that lasted approximately four months, to enable it to undergo a NIS 70 million (more than $20 million) program...

After having reconfigured and redesigned its entrance-level offices area, situated behind the reception desk, the David Citadel Jerusalem has introduced a new games area in this part of the hotel, for the children of guests, reports David Tucker, vice president of marketing and sales, Alrov Luxury...

Years in the preparation and development (see EMTT #324), Isrotel’s Beresheet Hotel, Mitzpe Ramon, opened for business this past April. It is the company’s second property in Mitzpe Ramon, after the Ramon Inn, which opened in the city 18 years ago. The new property, the latest...

After an expansion & upgrading project that was completed about three years ago, the Kfar Maccabiah Hotel & Suites has added to its product, investing about NIS 1.5 million on a business lounge as part of its “Premium Suites” product, reports hotel Manager Ari Iny. The new 300m² facility, located...

The Tel Aviv Hilton has inaugurated a new f&b outlet at the hotel, a tapas bar open from late morning till late at night and situated on a terrace accessed directly from its lobby lounge. It features a dedicated tapas menu, but diners can also order the dishes appearing on the regular lobby lounge...

“After undergoing renovations to a certain degree in 2006, in the waning days of the Intifada,” says Atlas Chain Joint Managing Director Leslie Adler, “when the uncertainty of the situation influenced the decision on what to invest in upgrading and redesigning the property, the chain...

An Israel industry-wide tourism conference was held at the Kfar Maccabiah Convention Center, Ramat Gan early in July, dedicated to the subject of “The Effect of the Dollar-Shekel Exchange Rate on the Tourism Industry.” Since the event was sponsored by Sk?l Israel - with a roster of...

As reported in EMTT #318, the Ramon Hotel, Mitzpe Ramon opened early in 2010. “The hotel was developed in a derelict building that was totally renovated,” says Manager David Malka, “and it offered basic rooms only at the time, not even curtains or pictures on the wall, but we have...

Arkia Israeli Airlines, which took possession of its first Embraer 195, a new craft configured to seat 122, will be operating the plane a number of times a day on its route between Eilat and Tel Aviv. The flight in each direction will last about 30 minutes - 20 minutes or so less than usual on the route.

For the first time in a decade, regularly scheduled direct flights between Stockholm Sweden and Tel Aviv are available. The once-weekly flights by Norwegian Airlines will operate until 23 October. This will be the second regularly scheduled service between Scandinavia and Israel, following...

Hotel search site HotelsCombined.com has listed Tel Aviv among the 10 hottest summer party spots for 2011. The site rated Tel Aviv ninth on its list, describing it as “Home to some of the hottest nightclubs in the Middle East.” Askmen.com readers have named the city...

Albar, which offers car rental services and represents Dollar and Thrifty in Israel, purchased 1200 new cars recently in preparation for the summer incoming tourism season. These include high-end vehicles such as Lexus and Mercedes and Cadillac, a spokesperson for...

The Freelance Council of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) has decided to hold its annual meeting in Israel in January 2012. About 100 leading U.S. and Canadian travel journalists, broadcasters, photographers and filmmakers are expected to spend a week and more touring...

In cooperation with the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the Tel Aviv Hotel Association (TAHA) and the Association for Tourism, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, held its annual series of seminars this past May. Events were held in France, Germany and Russia, but not in the U.K., for the first time in a number...

Based on figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the largest number of bona fide tourists ever to visit Israel in a single month was recorded in May 2011, when the country welcomed five percent more tourists from abroad than during...

After a total renovation of the upper floors and business lounge of the Dan Panorama Tel Aviv a couple of years ago, including a separate reception desk and the creation of what General Manager Chen Michaeli terms “a hotel within a hotel,” about NIS 15 million have been invested in...

“We - in fact all the hotels in the chain - are very assertive when it comes to ongoing maintenance,” explains Miki Poleg, general manager of Isrotel Tower Tel Aviv, “so sometimes it’s difficult to differentiate between maintaining our product in excellent condition, and renovating it. For example we...

“Our building, which was constructed at the beginning of the 19th century, comes with its own story, and this just adds to the romantic ambience of the hotel and its surroundings,” remarks Gadi Dalman, co-owner of the Alegra Hotel, a new seven-room property that opened for running...

“My major challenge is how to develop the hotel,” states Moussa Qazzaz, who took over as general manager of the Legacy Hotel, Jerusalem a few months ago. “I spent my first three months on the job just looking and listening, seeing and making plans,” he relates. “For instance, the hotel...

Following the success of a pilot program carried out at the Crowne Plaza City Center Tel Aviv, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts has launched “Crownet,” a new wireless Internet service in all its other hotels (except for the Patio Eilat), and guests are now offered high-speed Wi-Fi accessibility 24 hours...

As reported in EMTT #324, Diesenhaus-Unitours Incoming Tourism had been selected as official agent for the First (annual) Jerusalem Marathon, which took place late this past March. “It was a huge success,” reports the tour...

As reported in EMTT #326, Ami Federmann was elected president of the Israel Hotel Association (IHA), at the IHA’s annual conference, held last December at the Crowne Plaza Jerusalem. EMTT sat down with Federmann late in June to hear from him about the IHA and the important...

Jerusalem is hosting a variety of cultural festivals and happenings in July. The following is a partial list: “Different Trains” (to July 21): The festival will feature an interpretation of the Steve Reich composition “Different Trains,” performed at...

After more than two years of extensive restoration work, the Haifa’s Baha’i Shrine was unveiled recently, featuring almost 12,000 new gilded porcelain tiles. As part of the project, the interior and exterior of the original structure built in 1909 were renewed and measures were taken...

“Food and stories connect people,” states Avi Shlomo, owner of “Amim VeTa’amin,” the Hebrew name for “El-Carmel Druze Hospitality,” a company that organizes hospitality visits for groups, to homes in the Druze community of Issifeya on Mt. Carmel. The visits are for groups...

The Ein Mabua Nature Reserve, know also by its Arabic name En Fawwar, is situated by one of the three springs of the Wadi Qelt Nature Reserve in the Judean Desert, outside Jerusalem. It has been defined as a nature reserve since the 1980s, but only about two years ago...

The Israeli skydiving professional operation “Skydive in Israel” has developed a number of aerial options for both groups and FITs, reports owner Haim Dekalo. “We offer various programs, either flight only, or together with land arrangements that include round-trip flights, hotel accommodations...

For about a decade Yehuda Shen has been serving as director, Central & Southern Europe Department for the Israel Ministry of Tourism, with major emphasis on Poland, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia; he has devoted more energy these past two years to countries that were part ...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, a total of 298,400 foreign visitors entered Israel in April 2011. This represents a drop of about six percent when compared with the 316,900 that visited last April, while the 260,800 that spent at least one overnight in the country...

Based on a new agreement between Israel’s Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Finance for improved incentives and budgets for hotel construction and expansion, the country’s map of preferential tourism areas will be expanded to include areas of demand not on it until now, with Eilat, the Lower Galilee...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism will be investing NIS 29 million over a five-year period, to assist in upgrading, expanding an adapting nine youth hostels in Israel and preparing them for incoming tourism. Total cost of the project is estimated at about NIS 144.5 million, and it will be implemented in cooperation...

As part of an overall project by the government for the economic development of Arab areas in the country, the Israel Ministry of Tourism has announced plans to invest NIS 12 million (more than $3.5 million) to develop the Old City of Nazareth for tourism purposes, “to make the quarter more accessible, comfortable...

“Ever since Africa Israel sold 50 percent of our company to private investors a number of months ago, we have been reevaluating everything and redefining our emphases,” explains Ron Yariv, who is serving as acting general manager of Africa Israel Hotels (AFI). “We have set up an internal...

The Isrotel Hotel Chain has signed a memorandum of understanding to lease the Princess Hotel, Eilat from its owners for a 10.5-year period, and to begin managing it as of 1 July 2011, with options for two additional five-year periods. The Princess will be...

After being on paper alone for a number of years, a new “Wellness Center” at the Scots Hotel, Tiberias is now being constructed. Work commenced late in April in a separate building on the property, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, and plans call for the facility to be operational by early next year, reports...

Located on the coast of southern Netanya, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the Ramada Hotel & Suites, a new mixed use property now under construction, is scheduled to open by this coming summer, and it has started to take reservations for August. The 18-storey hotel will feature 180 one-bedroom...

The Tel Aviv Local Planning and Building Committee has approved a plan to transform a police station on Dizengoff St. into a mixed-use 220-room property. It has also given its approval for plans to construct the Forum Palace Hotel - two 17-floor buildings on the site of the old Sheraton...

At a ceremony that took place recently at the Dan Carmel, Haifa, the Israel Hotel Association presented a certificate of appreciation to the city’s Mayor Yona Yahav for his “extraordinary activities in developing tourism and hotels in Haifa.” “Haifa is involved in hotel development in an...

Atlas Hotels has signed an agreement to manage a new Haifa hotel located in a heritage building on Hassan Shukri Street near the Municipality, that was home to the Mayor of Haifa during British Mandate times, reports the chain’s joint Managing Director Leslie Adler. As part of the arrangement, the...

The Narkis Boutique Hotel, a property in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, is situated a short distance from Mt. Hermon, the Banias, Ka’lat Nimrud and other Golan tourism sites. The new hotel features 21 air-conditioned rooms and suites, all with...

The Golden Tulip Privilege Hotel, Eilat, a part of the Fattal Hotel Chain, has launched its new all-inclusive culinary experience. Three meals a day are served now at the hotel - breakfast, lunch and dinner, and offerings...

As part of its tourism marketing strategy, Tel Aviv took advantage of ITB, Berlin this past March to promote gay tourism to the city. A Tel Aviv delegation exhibited at ITB’s “Pink Pavilion,” offering interested agents and tourists gay tourism options in city and using the occasion to launch its new gay tourism...

The Litvak Gallery, Tel Aviv, which opened in 2009 (see EMTT #327) and represents - and exhibits works of - 23 established artists working in glass, is offering travel agents various options for both FITs and groups, to enable them to give their tourists an enriching experience by incorporating...

Telepharma Direct, an online pharmaceutical and medical equipment marketing company, has started to market to incoming tourism, reports Vice President, Products Eyal Shalit, and the company has begun to work with agents and operators. “Since we have amassed much experience...

After being closed for renovations from July 2010 to mid March this year, the Dead Sea Solarium, located in Ein Bokek on the shores of the Dead Sea, has reopened. The beach level was raised as part of this work, all the equipment - including ventilators and chaise lounges - was replaced in both...

(By Amnon Lipzin) Half a year or so after the Israel Museum reopened, after most of its facilities were closed for about three years to enable improvements and renovations to be carried out (see EMTT #319), Director James Snyder speaks...

El Al Israel Airlines has decided to purchase four new Boeing 737-900ER craft at a cost estimated at between $215-320 million. The airline will use the new planes, which will begin operating in 2013, for short-haul and medium-haul flights, an El Al spokesperson says, and they will be configured...

KLM has increased capacity on its Amsterdam-Tel Aviv service by introducing Boeing 777-200ER craft on all the airline’s daily flights between Amsterdam and Tel Aviv, in place of the 737-900 aircraft it had operated previously. This increase in capacity is scheduled to continue through the end of October 2011.

The “Mary of Nazareth” Project, developed to foster a better understanding of who the mother of Jesus was and of her active role in the Catholic Church and in the world, past and present, was inaugurated late in March. “It is linked to a dozen or so associated Marian Centers operating in 12 different...

“With about 800,000 visitors in 2010, more than 70 percent of whom were foreign tourists, Masada is Israel’s major tourist attraction. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and much money has been invested in recent years - about NIS 250 million on the entrance compound and another 40 million...

(By Amnon Lipzin) As reported in EMTT #327, the Sixth Annual Tourism Conference took place in Tel Aviv early in February as part of this years International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) The topic under discussion for 2011 was “A Revolution in the Tourism Industry - Managing Occupancy in an Era of Increasing Demand.” Prof. Rami Friedman, dean of the Sarnat School of Management, spoke of ...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, 220,000 tourists visited Israel in February 2011. This figure represents an increase of 10 percent over February 2010 in the number tourists spending at least one overnight ...

The “International Tourism Conference, Jerusalem 2011” took place at the ICC Jerusalem International Conventions Center late in March. Addressing the opening session Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said that the international conventions and meetings market was...

“It all began about five years ago,” relates Eyal Shmueli, owner of ‘Black & White Luxury Suites’ (and also publisher & editor-in-chief of Israel Travel News Ltd, which produces and publishes EMTT). “We saw the area and we liked it, so we decided to build a house there and also two luxury zimmers, which...

The Rimonim Galei Kinnereth Hotel, Tiberias has competed a renovations and upgrading project on the six suites in its Tower Wing and is now beginning to renovate the Spa Wing’s “Ben Gurion Suite,” the room...

As first reported in EMTT #322, the Leonardo City Tower Ramat Gan underwent a four-month period of renovations and was reinaugurated recently as an upgraded property with a new look. About NIS 10 million were invested in the upgrading of the hotel, reports a spokesperson for the...

Like many other professionals involved in Israel’s tourism industry, hotel marketing veteran Joseph Fischer, who now serves as owner’s representative & executive board member, IDB Tourism, which owns Diesenhaus-Unitours, Israir Airlines and a variety of subsidiaries dealing with domestic and outgoing tourism - and had hotel holdings too until a couple of years ago - believes that under current circumstances and due to the current market and geopolitical realities, the government must take a stronger position of leadership in cooperation with the industry. Mixed-use properties are a perfect example to illustrate what I mean. Land zoned for construction is limited, especially in prime locations. Given the fact that real estate values have skyrocketed in these areas in recent years to such a degree that in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv they are among the world’s highest, the cost of developing a property is close to prohibitive. Therefore, when developers look to build, they have in mind that it takes a hotel in the country between 12-15 years to return the initial investment, and the risk factor is high as well, whereas building office space or luxury apartments is a much safer and much more economically feasible move. On the other hand, depending on whom you believe, between 5000 and 20,000 hotel rooms are lacking in Israel, and not adding them will result in tourism growth being throttled. Conditions have also changed in Israel as far as hotel construction is concerned. In the past, most of Israel’s larger hotels were erected by contractor-owners, and since they built by themselves they were able to save between 25-50 percent on construction costs. Those days are gone, banks - which lost hundreds of millions of shekels on projects such as the Sheraton Hadera complex and the properties that used to belong to Azorim, and are still internalizing the lessons of the recent economic crisis - are less willing than in the past to finance hotel projects, and nowadays it’s more worthwhile for an investor to purchase a used property than to develop a new hotel. Take the Dan Hotel Chain as a case in point, and the excellent bargains it struck in simple real estate terms, with its recent discount purchases of its two newest hotels in Jerusalem, the Dan Boutique and the Dan Jerusalem. The cost of building a room nowadays on the level of those in the former Hyatt Regency Jerusalem - the current Dan Jerusalem - is in the neighborhood of $200,000 when all the expenditures are taken into account. The cost to the chain was something like $88,000. The same is true regarding the properties the Fattal Chain purchased not that long ago - amazing deals, even when the cost of refurbishment is factored in. This is an absurd situation; it’s also absurd that the lead time to build a new hotel including obtaining the land and receiving all the permits, is ten years, specially considering the fact that 93 percent of the land is publically owned. That’s why new approaches are needed to attract erstwhile investors to develop new hotels. The way I see it, government incentive grants are not the answer; however, rules and regulations should be made more flexible, to enable the construction of more mixed-use properties like the Ocean Suites or Ramada in Netanya and to grant entrepreneurs enhanced development rights, so that they can utilize more of their total area for rooms and other facilities. We also need more realistic appraisals in land valuation, where hotels are concerned. To take one case in point, in 1998, when I represented M?venpick in Israel, we turned to the Israel Lands Authority to receive a waiver from going through the process of bidding for the rights to land on Ashdod’s southern Mediterranean Coast, where we wanted to erect a five-star resort village, which would have been the first on the coast under international management. This request was in keeping with criteria set down by the Israel Ministry of Tourism. It was a lovely idea, but it was quickly abandoned by M?venpick as unrealistic when the sum the government quoted was based on calculations for a luxury high-rise real estate project, even though it was clearly stated that the planned village would be low-rise. Government Conflicts Hotel construction is far from being the only issue; the role of government in tourism development and support is of even greater concern. In a recent report, Israel was ranked 97th out of 106 countries for government policy in the field of tourism. This is quite a damning conclusion and should make all of us stop and think, and the conclusion is, I believe, that tourism is not a serious part of the government’s agenda. There is no tourism strategy. Look at Jordan by comparison. It has been operating on a 10-year tourism plan ever since the year 2000, based on the recommendations of a commission comprised of business people that are tourism experts. No public officials sit on the commission; it reports directly to the king and does not have to answer to government ministers. This commission decided Jordan’s tourism strategy 10 years ahead. Obama heads a panel like this in the United States. But since we’re not Jordan and we’re not the U.S., we don’t have a king and our president is a titular figure, the overseer of a board like this would be the Minister of Tourism. However, longevity in the office is all but impossible under Israel’s coalition government system and the average time in the office this past decade and longer, has been less than nine months - it takes longer than that to give birth! That’s why an overall long-term national tourism strategy must be apolitical, and must move us away from vested interests. Consider this: Two different government ministries are involved in negotiations with the EU for a civil aviation treaty that, among other issues, would open Israel’s skies to EU carriers. The Ministry of Tourism says “yes”; the Ministry of Transport says “yes, but,” demanding slots at Heathrow and Frankfurt, even though these airports are privately owned and can’t be dictated to by their respective governments. In fact, Israel has been waffling for years on the matter of “Open Skies,” preferring private interests and bi-lateral agreements that limit development, over tourism growth - and from Europe in particular. About 60 percent of Israel’s incoming tourism comers from Europe and market potential will be even greater in coming years, but without free competition nothing will happen. Our Jordanian neighbors understand this, as is evidenced by Jordan’s agreement with the EU for unlimited commercial flights to and from it and 27 European countries. A Multi-Ministerial Commission The way to act on matters like this is to deal with them within a multi-ministerial framework with tourism as its only concern. We can no longer afford situations like the one that happened a few days ago when Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing Jerusalem’s international tourism conference, announced his support for building Israel’s second international airport at Megiddo, in the Galilee, only to have the Minister of Transport the very next day, reaffirm his interest in beginning to plan an airport in southern Israel. We can’t afford the luxury of waiting around on the chance that one day, ministers will work in harmony. The last time an idyllic situation like this existed, was between the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Finance nearly two decades ago - one party, a single agenda - at a time when the government under Yitzhak Rabin espoused a tourism policy based on his belief that “Tourism promotes peace. Peace promotes tourism.” If such a commission were to exist, it could deal with a host of additional issues too, such as a national policy on manpower training for the industry, which lost many seasoned mid-level mangers and other talented personnel during the Intifada. The old generation of managers is slowly but surely retiring and there are not enough talented people left in the generation to follow, to take their place. Also, luxury hotels managed by a number of international chains - Kempinski, Ritz Carlton, Waldorf Astoria - will be opening in Israel in the next couple of years. How can will Israel attend to their trained manpower needs in a way that meets their standards and expectations, and do we really want to return to the ‘60s and 70s, when the top Israeli properties were managed by foreigners? The commission could deal with such issues by providing incentives when these seem necessary: tax breaks; student stipends; support for academic institutions; declaring tourism a preferential industry, and the like. Dealing with municipal ordinances that serve as barriers to hotel development, is another area in which the commission could play an important role. And if the commission does its work properly, we won’t remain where we have been these past 15 years. There were about 47,000 hotel rooms in Israel 1996, about the same number in use today!

The final stage of a three-year program of renovations and improvements has come to an end at the Orchid Park Plaza Tel Aviv, with the opening of facilities on the second floor of the hotel. This 1000 m² space has been divided into three separate sections. The largest, featuring newly installed windows...

The Ramot Resort Village, located on the Golan Heights overlooking the Sea of Galilee, reopened recently after having been closed for a month for renovations to its public areas. Work was carried out on the lobby and lobby bar, reception area, second-floor dining room and on all the corridors, and the...

Israir Airlines has been granted permission by the Israel Civil Aviation Authority to operate regularly scheduled flights between Tel Aviv and Amman, Jordan and to be a designated carrier on the route. According Dror Bahat, assistant general manager, commerce & aviation for IDB Tourism, to which...

As of March, Iberia Airlines has been operating 18 weekly flights between Madrid and Tel Aviv - four more than in 2010. While most are on Airbus A319s, two are on Airbus A-340 craft, with 254 seats, more than double the capacity of the former. A third A-340 weekly flight will be inaugurated...

Belgian airline Jetairfly has added a third weekly flight between Liege and Tel Aviv. It departs from Liege Tuesday evening, returning to Belgium early the following morning.

As a result of Israel’s High Court of Justice accepting an appeal filed by the Holon Municipality against a recent decision to allow night departures from Ben Gurion Airport and ruling against both night departures and a special waiver enabling extra night take-offs during the holiday...

“I can’t say I’m excited about it, but due to circumstances, and to the fact that we tried a new general manager but he didn’t work out, I’ve decided to return to my old position as managing director of the company and to reorganize it,” reveals Benni Sivan, owner of Israel incoming tour...

Rev. Bob Johnson, pastor of the Ozark Mountain Assembly of God Church, visited Israel for the first time in November 1993, in the midst of the Yom Kippur War. “We had booked, so we came,” Johnson reminisced at a welcome dinner hosted in his honor at the Renaissance Tel Aviv early...

Israel tour operator Kenes Tours has started to market “Prestige Israel,” a 12 day/10 night tour of Israel, with four departure dates scheduled for 2011: May 26; June 13; October 24, and December 19. The tour, based on Monday arrival in Israel and accommodations in Herods in both...

The relics of St. Therese of Lisieux have arrived in Israel for a two-month stay. Her reliquary was placed on display in mid March for one day at the Latin Patriarchate in the Old City’s Christian Quarter, before being transported to Nazareth’s Basilica of the Annunciation. It will remain in the area...

IMTM 2011, the 17th International Mediterranean Tourism Market, took place in Tel Aviv this past 8-9 February at the Israel Fairgrounds & Exhibition Center. According to statistics released by the organizers, Ortra Ltd. and Israel Travel News Ltd. (publishers of EMTT), the exhibition, which has taken place every year but one since its inception in 1993, was the largest in the history of the event, in just about every category. Compared with last year’s figures: the number of booths grew from 307 to 351; net exhibition space increased from 3980 m² to 4400 m²; there were 1120 exhibitors (compared with 980 in 2010); 38 countries exhibited (up from 35 last year); trade visitors numbered 10,800 (compared with 8580 last year); there were 1050 trade visitors from abroad (200 more than in 2010), and attendance...

Speaking with EMTT just one day after Israel’s government approved a cut of one percent to each ministry’s budget, Israel Ministry of Tourism Senior Deputy Director General and head of its Marketing Administration Oren Drori assumes that this will be translated into a reduction of the...

Having come to Los Angeles, California about 16 months ago to serve as western U.S. regional director for the Israel Government Tourist Office, Eliezer Hod returned to Israel this past February to attend IMTM, bringing with him a large group of hosted buyer agents from the United States, most of whom...

This year once again the Israel Ministry of Tourism, along with members of Israel’s tourism industry took part in NRB, the annual convention of the National Religious Broadcasters held in Nashville, Tennessee. The ministry sponsored a breakfast this...

A new record for tourism entries to Israel from India was set in 2010, when 40,000 tourists from India visited Israel - up 74 percent over the figure for 2009. With an eye to increasing tourism from India to Israel, the Israel Ministry of Tourism participated in OTM, the annual Indian travel fair, which took...

At a cost of about NIS 2 million the Israel Ministry of Tourism will be launching a tv advertising campaign on Eurosport, which has a daily viewership of more than 72 million people in Europe and 19 million more throughout the world. The campaign will be aired in two waves, the first...

As part of its efforts to promote Christian pilgrimage travel, the Israel Ministry of Tourism has launched “A Holy Land Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of the Virgin Mary,” a new pilgrimage tour targeting the Catholic market in particular. The route is included in the ministry’s new marketing...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism unveiled a new website a few months ago specifically dedicated to Evangelical Christians: The new www.evangelicalisraelexperience.com url features site descriptions, sample itineraries, Hebrew phrases, sites of interest, insights...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism, in cooperation with representatives of the travel industry, Israel's regional tourism offices and El Al Israel Airlines held a countrywide national convention for tour operators and leading decision makers in the travel market late last year. Entitled “Where Else: Israel,” the...

As reported in EMTT #326, Isrotel will be investing nearly $13 million this year in renovations at a number of its properties. “The work is being carried out during the first half of the year,” the chain’s General Manager Lior Raviv elaborates. “The Monkey’s Pub on the Eilat Promenade near...

The focus till now at the Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel & Towers for small meetings and conferences, the third floor has just undergone a total makeover designed to expand the number of accommodation units it can offer. “Basically, it means returning 12 rooms to...

Planned originally to be named the Land Wall Hotel, after the “Land Wall” gate to the city of Acre that is opposite it, the Akkotel, as it is called, is a 16 room property fashioned out of two adjacent buildings that served until the mid 90s as Acre’s local courthouse. One, nearly 300 years old, is from...

As reported in EMTT #326, hoteliers Danny Lipman and Leslie Adler, co-managing directors of Israel’s Atlas Chain, were one of the recipients of the awards for excellence for 2010 distributed at the Hilton Tel Aviv in January by the IHA, as part of ceremonies during the opening gala that preceded...

As reported in EMTT #324, the David InterContinental Tel Aviv embarked on a project late last year to redesign and upgrade its third-floor atrium lobby, including the development of an additional business lounge there complete with all day refreshments, upgrading hotel food...

“The hotel opened a few years ago as a hostel managed by the Israel Youth Hostel Association,” recalls Racheli Baradas-Sudai, who served as manager of Jaffa’s Ruth Daniel Residence before it was taken over by new management and who continues to serve as vice president/operation...

The Palm Beach, Acre, which functioned until two years ago as just a hotel, has integrated the adjacent country club and events center into it, and these two centers have now become an integral part of the hotel, renamed the Palm Beach Club. Now, at a cost of about NIS 8 million, renovations...

Work is being completed on developing the Effendi Hotel, a 12-room hotel located on two floors in two interconnecting buildings in Old Acre, with an internal bridge connecting them. Plans call for the Effendi to become operational in early spring 2011. Among its unique features are a cellar...

Villa Galilee, a small, 21-room hotel located in the Mt. Canaan district of Safed on the site of old Eden Hotel, which closed down more than 20 years earlier, has been undergoing changes since opening nearly seven years ago, reports Marketing Manager Yaffa Zindan. The number of treatment ...

Work has begun on the first of three stages to develop and upgrade the Ein Gedi Guesthouse, on Kibbutz Ein Gedi, overlooking the Dead Sea. Investment in this first stage - upgrading 24 old guesthouse rooms and transforming them into 16 suites - is in the vicinity of NIS 30 million. At the same...

The Narkis Boutique Hotel, a new property in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, has started to operate. Situated a short distance from Mt. Hermon, the Banias, Ka’lat Nimrud and other Golan tourism sites, it features 21 air-conditioned rooms and suites, all with...

The Nof Ginosar Hotel, located at Kibbutz Nof Ginosar on the western shores of the Sea of Galilee, in cooperation with Isracopter, has started to offer packages based on the hotel’s suite and its on-premises helicopter landing pad. “The packages are tailor made and can include elements such...

Expedia, Inc. has released new data showing a growth of 28 percent in reservations at hotels in Israel made on the more than 90 Expedia and Hotels.com sites in over 60 countries worldwide. The largest numbers of hotel reservations for Israel were on Expedia and Hotels.com sites...

“One-day tourism needs to be examined in the light of practical data regarding capacity in Jerusalem’s Old City Basin and the main points of interest for day tourists there,” states Ami Etgar, secretary general...

“I come from the world of hotels,” reflects Kfir Shwarz, co-managing director of Israel tour operator Ahalan Olympus, “and so, when I was thinking of what I wanted to do, I naturally gravitated in the direction of incoming tourism. It was in 2004 and most incoming operations had abandoned...

Tal Aviation and ADC Holidays have formed TAL-ADC Tours, a new partnership for incoming tourism to Israel. Tal Aviation has been in the market since 1987, while ADC Holidays, which was established 18 years ago, specializes in the U.S. market and also handles U.S. cruise...

The “Falafel Bus” is a new bus transport network for FIT travelers, developed by Frank Scerri, managing director of Mission Travel, Australia, a Christian-based travel agency for volunteer Christian programs in particular and for pilgrimage tourism too. It is a new hop on-hop off service...

According to statistics released by the Israel Airports Authority, approximately 11,500,000 passengers passed through Ben Gurion International Airport in 2010 on international flights - an increase of 9.3 percent over the figure for 2009. About 86,000 departures and arrivals were recorded...

At a cost of $325 million, Israir Airlines, a subsidiary of IDB Tourism, has purchased two new ATR-72-500 craft. The new planes, each of which is being configured for 72 seats, are expected to be operational by spring. According to an airline spokesperson, they will be used on...

El Al Israel Airlines and Siberia Airlines (S7) have signed a code sharing agreement. According to the terms of the agreement, passengers flying between Novosibirsk and Tel Aviv will be able to be ticketed as either El Al or S7.

A second Golden Crown property is about to open in Nazareth, located in the old part of the city close by Mary’s Well on the top three floors of a five-storey building. Named the Golden Crown Old City, it features 100 rooms overlooking the Nazareth landscape, each with individual air-conditioning...

British Airways, which selects ten destinations every year from among the many to which it flies, made Tel Aviv one of its 10 City Break destinations this winter and has built a marketing campaign in support of it. Promotion is based on ads posted online, in leading newspapers in the U.K. and...

Following the success of last summer’s inaugural annual opera festival at Masada with the production of Verdi’s “Nabucco” (see EMTT #326) and even before this year’s Masada production of “Aida” is held, Hanna Munitz, director of the New Israeli Opera has announced that the production for...

Having opened in December 2009 as a commercial art gallery in Tel Aviv specializing in artists working in glass, and selling entrance tickets to visitors, the Litvak Gallery is now showcasing an exhibition by world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly, scheduled to run through the end of April 2011. “There are...

Michal Negrin, an Israeli designer of jewelry, fashion and home d?cor items, owner of more than 22 “concept stores,” as they are termed, all over the world and a similar number in Israel, each exuding a similar ambience, opened a visitors center more than a year ago in her factory in Bat Yam, south-east ...

“Desert Shade,” a venture by desert tourism developer Ziv Spector, who has been offering desert tourism programs of various sorts for the past 20 years, recently added “The Exodus Trail,” a desert biking and hiking eco-vacation, to its roster of programs. “I started with tents,” he remarks, “and...

In cooperation with the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the Tel Aviv Hotel Association has come to an agreement with German wholesaler Thomas Cook-Neckermann for the company to feature Tel Aviv and its hotels on its website. The site will feature the Association’s “City Break” program, and others...

Jerusalem’s Bible Land Museum has inaugurated a new 30-minute tour of part of its exhibitions halls with a focus on Christian pilgrims and primarily the Evangelical market. Entitled “Behold, days are coming… when I will make a new covenant…,” from the Old Testament text in Jeremiah, it follows...

“Our purpose is to return to the time of the Book of Genesis, to take our visitors back to early biblical times and to give them a feel for the period,” explains Boaz Ido, owner of Genesis Land, situated off the main Jerusalem-Dead Sea road, not far from Ma’ale Edumim. “I’m a licensed tour...

According to David (Dudu) Harari, director of the Old Acre Development Corporation (OADC), even though archeological digs have been carried out in Old Acre since 1963 and it has been declared a World Heritage...

Edward Khoury is owner and skipper of the “Acre Queen,” the ship docked at the Port of Acre that will be taking tourists “In the Footsteps of St. Paul,” based on the tour developed by the Old Acre Development Company. “Actually,” he explains, “Paul departed from Caesarea, passing along...

At a press conference held by the Israel Ministry of Tourism late in December, Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov announced that approximately 3.45 million incoming tourism entries will have been registered for 2010, making it a record tourism year, with an increase of 700,000 over the number...

The Ministry of Tourism pilot program, operated since this past June in coordination with the Civil Administration, by means of which 50 Israeli tour guides and drivers were allowed to guide tourists in Bethlehem and Jericho for the first time since 2000 (see EMTT #319), has been deemed...

The Inbal Jerusalem has opened its Wi-Fi Internet infrastructure throughout the hotel - in the rooms and public areas too - to hotel guests, free of charge, According to a spokesperson for the hotel, guests will receive a personal access code upon check-in, to use throughout their stay. “The Inbal...

The Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv City Center has changed the afternoon menu at its “11th Floor” restaurant, and plans are being developed to change the evening menu as well. “When the Crowne Plaza City Center opened, about three years ago, the 11th Floor, with seating for about 90-110 diners at...

The Isrotel Hotel Chain has inaugurated a new sub-brand, the “Isrotel Luxury Collection,” comprised of its Carmel Forest Spa Resort property outside Haifa, the Royal Beach Hotel, Eilat, the Beresheet Hotel, scheduled to open this coming April in Mitzpe Ramon (see EMTT #324) and, when it become...

For the 12th year in a row, the David InterContinental Tel Aviv is offering a special Passover package. Aside from what the hotel describes as “deluxe” accommodations, the offering includes the first-night-of-Passover (“Seder”) traditional ritual meal conducted this year...

After working for more than 20 years in marketing, management and product development in Israel’s hotel industry, for international chains such as Hyatt, Marriott and Sheraton, and for a local chain too (Tamares Hotels), Ronit Copeland has launched her own company, Copeland Ltd. She has...

After inaugurating its “Diamond Suite” in 2008, complete with a 220m² living area and a wrap-around balcony more than 180 m² in size that offers views of both Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean Sea, which it overlooks (see EMTT #294), the Alexander Suites has added a second floor...

After finishing a new round of renovations about three years ago - the second of a two-stage project that began in 2005 at a total cost of close to NIS 70 million (nearly $20 million) - the Blue Bay Hotel, Netanya has continued with a program of on going improvements while working at the same...

The Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel & Towers has been working intensively this past year to develop the Russian market, and it has added Marina Shalman, an Israeli who is also a native Russian speaker, to head these sales efforts. “I was hired specifically to help develop business from Russia for the...

Valtur, one of Italy’s largest wholesalers, has selected Israel as a new, central outgoing destinations for its clients for 2011, a spokesperson for the Israel Ministry of Tourism reports, citing an announcement released at the TTG Rimini Travel Fair, where Valtur President Maria Concetta Patti...

The Edom Mountains Hotel, Eilat has been leased for 10 years to a new management group and has been renamed the Arcadia Spa Eilat, reports Meir Daabul, manager of the Deborah Hotel, Tel Aviv, who is a member of the ownership group of both the Deborah ...

In cooperation with Amiel Tours, its tour operator in Israel, Raiffeisen - und Volksbanken Touristik (RV), a German wholesaler that specializes in providing tourism services to banks in Germany that sell tourism packages all over the world to its clients, hosted a group of bank managers...

A group of agents from Russia visited Israel this past December on a fam trip hosted by Israel incoming tour operator Travelux, which specializes exclusively in the Russian market. The trip featured three days in Eilat (with two overnights in the Royal Tulip Hotel and one in the Central Hotel), one night...

“As the exclusive incoming tourism agent selected to sell tickets last summer, for Verdi’s ‘Nabucco,’ held as Masada, we sold more than 4000 to tourists from France, the U.K., Germany, the U.S. and Italy for the most part, but also to groups from Poland, Scandinavia, Austria and Spain,” reveals...

The Municipality of Jerusalem is planning the “International Tourism Conference, Jerusalem 2011,” co-sponsored by the ICC Jerusalem International Conventions Center (where the event is scheduled to take place 29-31 March 2011), the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, the Jerusalem...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, 310,000 tourists visited Israel in November 2010 - the best November on record - an increase of 23 percent over the figure for November 2009 and 19 percent more than in November 2008. About 3.18 million visitors from abroad entered Israel during the first 11 months of 2010 - more than the number that visited the country during...

According to a press briefing held in November by Oleksandr Dikusarov, press secretary for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the reciprocal agreement on the abolition of tourist visa requirements between Israel and the Ukraine will go into effect on 9 February 2011. Based on the terms...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has launched an advertising campaign on the Fashion Channel (FTV), which is telecast in about 200 countries all over the world. “The new four-month campaign, presented under the slogan ‘Israel, it’s Like Magic,’ a ministry spokesperson explains, “is designed...

Based on statistics released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Jerusalem has experienced the highest growth in hotel occupancy levels so far in 2010, of all the cities in the country - a 24-percent growth for the first nine months of the year, as opposed to a growth of 13.7 percent...

At a cost estimated at about NIS 750 million (approximately $205 million, including the cost of the land), Henry Taic, owner of the Le M?ridien Dead Sea, Grand Court Jerusalem, David InterContinental Tel Aviv and the Grand Beach Tel Aviv and a shareholder in the Tel Aviv Hilton, will be...

The Fattal Hotel Chain has announced plans to develop a 120-room business hotel in Rehovoth, just southeast of Tel Aviv. The hotel, which will be located near the Weizmann Science Institute and the city’s hi-tech center, is to be constructed on 10,000 m² of land. Cost of the project is...

A number of improvements were implemented recently at the Isrotel Dead Sea, and others are to be implemented in the near future. About half a year ago, the wet treatment rooms of the hotel’s “Esprit” spa were renovated with new ceramic tiles, lowered...

AFI Hotels has leased out its Express Beat Eilat property to Dror Hotel Management, effective this coming January. The agreement is for a five-year period, with the option of a five-year extension. The 212-room...

Four hotels located in different areas of Israel, the Inbal Jerusalem, Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel & Towers, Hilton Eilat Queen of Sheba and the Mitzpe Hayamin (near Rosh Pina) have developed a joint “The Complete Israel Experience” package at a set price, valid between 1 March 2011 and...

The Rimonim Hotel Chain has been expanding, adding four new hotels to its roster in 2010, together with other tourism-related facilities. Along with the Central Park, in Eilat, which it started to manage this past spring (see EMTT #317), the other properties that have become part of...

The David InterContinental Tel Aviv was named “The Leading Israeli Hotel 2010” at the World Travel Awards, which took place this past October in Antalya, Turkey. The hotel last received this award in 2007. World Travel Award rankings are based on votes by the traveling public and travel agents.

Varsano Suites, a six-suite boutique property located in Tel Aviv’s Neve Tzedek neighborhood, began with two suites, and since then it has added others. “We opened last year with two apartments, which we were renting out to long-term visitors to Tel Aviv,” says the property’s...

For the fifth consecutive year, the Mediterranean International Wine & Spirit Challenge known as Terravino 2010, the final event in 2010 in a series of international wine competitions around the...

“I can’t say that 2010 has been ‘business as usual’ for us,” reports Lior Gelfand, president & ceo of Ortra Ltd., an Israel tour operator with a primary focus as a professional conference organizer (PCO), events organizer and destination management company (DMC). “Nevertheless, we can...

As mentioned in EMTT #324, Liberty International’s Israel subsidiary has become part of Vered Hasharon, and veteran incoming tourism professional Yair Hendl has joined the company to continue his long-term affiliation with Liberty International, working out of Vered Hasharon’s...

The Mount Hermon ski site, the only one in Israel, opened in mid December for the first time this winter, soon after the country was struck with its first spell of winter weather. A few days before the opening, the level of snow was measured at 240 centimeters at the site of the upper cable car at the Golan Heights site.

During a visit to China late in September, Israel Ministry of Tourism Director General Noaz Bar-Nir met with Dao Suaming, Director General of the Shanghai Ministry of Tourism, and both signed a tourism cooperation agreement that emphasizes the importance of tourism as a means of promoting mutual ties. The two pledged, among other matters, to work together to advance tourism between Israel and Shanghai, since, as an Israel Ministry of Tourism spokesperson explains, “the Chinese tourism market holds enormous potential for Israel...

Israel Minister of Tourism and his Georgian counterpart Minister of Economy and Sustained Development Vera Kobalia signed a tourism agreement in October during Kobelia’s visit to Israel, a spokesperson for the Israel Ministry of Tourism has announced, adding that signing the...

On a trip to Samarkand early in October, in the course of a working visit to Uzbekistan, Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov met with Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization, at the 5th International Meeting on the Silk Road, held there, and the two...

Basing its efforts on the slogan “Wakacyna Ziemia Obiecana” (A Vacation in the Promised Land), the Israel Ministry of Tourism has launched its first ever widespread advertising campaign in Poland, at a cost of about NIS 2 million. Polish pilgrimage tourism has been targeted as the...

In mid October, leaders of America’s National Hispanic Church Leaders Conference (NHCLC) and their spouses, led by its president the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, visited Israel for more than a week, within the framework of a fam trip hosted by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, organized...

The number of charter flights between Moscow and Eilat increased recently, with the addition of Russian tourism wholesaler Southern Cross on the route. Southern Cross is the latest wholesaler from Russia to market packages to Eilat for the current winter season, with programs based...

Based on statistics just released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Jerusalem has experienced the highest growth in hotel occupancy levels so far in 2010, of all the cities in the country - a 24-percent growth for the first nine months of the year, as opposed to a growth of 13.7 percent...

At a cost estimated at about NIS 750 million (approximately $205 million, including the cost of the land), Henry Taic, owner of the M?ridien Dead Sea, Grand Court Jerusalem, David InterContinental Tel Aviv and the Grand Beach Tel Aviv and a shareholder in the Tel Aviv Hilton, will be developing...

As reported in EMTT #322, architect Joab Igra, co-owner with Fattal Hotel Management of Herods Eilat, is redesigning the hotel known today as the Leonardo Plaza Tel Aviv. The hotel, which is being upgraded and refurbished in the spirit of Tel Aviv, “will introduce guests to the elements...

The David InterContinental Tel Aviv is ready to embark on redesigning and upgrading its third-floor atrium lobby (see EMTT #316). The project call for developing an additional business lounge there, complete with all day refreshments, upgrading hotel food...

“The way it looks now, we’re in the final stages of readying our new ‘Beresheet’ Hotel in Mitzpe Ramon, and it should open for running in by the beginning of March 2011,” reports Lior Raviv, general manager of the Isrotel Hotel Chain. “If I do say so myself, the hotel will...

Though also responsible for the Alrov Luxury Hotels’ properties scheduled to open in Amsterdam, London and Paris, Massimo Ianni, chief executive officer for the new chain, has been based in Israel since the end of August 2010, overseeing the European operations, as well as the day-to-day...

“This has been a good year for us so far, with many more overnights, and there is no reason to think that this won’t continue through December,” remarks Dan Hotels Corporation Vice President Marketing Rafi Baeri. “It certainly has been better than 2009 and in line with 2008, Israel’s best tourism...

El Mul Golan, the Country Lodging & Youth Hostel situated on Kibbutz Sha’ar Hagolan, in the Jordan Valley, is in the process or renovating and upgrading all of its accommodation units. “We began welcoming tourists...

The Golan Hotel, Tiberias, a 100-room property located on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee, caters primarily to incoming markets, says General Manager Simon Partouche. “Our annual occupancy is based more than 90 percent on incoming tourism,” he explains. “We host a very...

The Eden Hotel, Tiberias underwent renovations recently, reports its Sales & Reservations Manager Nissim Simony. The lobby has been renewed, as well as the bar area in it and part of the lobby has been outfitted with new furniture. Also, a new waterfall facing the entrance to the...

“Israel was inundated by tourists in October, and the system could barely deal with the influx,” says Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association Secretary General Ami Etgar, “and while October was the high point this year, 2010 marks the return to the number of groups from abroad that we were...

“We have been chosen by the Jerusalem Municipality’s Department of Sports as the official agent for next year’s ‘First Jerusalem Marathon,’ scheduled to take place in the city on 25 March 2001 and for the sports and health exhibition to be held on the two days prior to the event at the ICC-Jerusalem...

“We’re active today in about 50 countries all over the world,” reports Mushi Vered, managing director of Israel incoming tour operator Vered Hasharon, “just about everywhere except for some of the major Western European countries, where we have no plans to be active, and business from...

“We began operations 10 years ago,” recalls Josephine Zinder, president of Tailor Made Tours. “I had been working at Unitours, but at some point in my career I wanted to do something different, something ‘pret-a-porter,’ not just mass production. Unfortunately, my timing was off, and...

“Four very good years,” is the way Oni Amiel, president & ceo of Amiel Tours, summarizes the activity of his company from 2007 until now. “Three major segments comprise our core business, and we have strengthened all of them. One is the Christian market, and I believe that...

“Arkia Incoming, a department of Arkia, has operated for quite a number of years and we’re continuing to operate too,” explains its new manager Ronnie Tourdjman. “However, we’re reorganizing the department with the aim of bringing as many tourists as possible to Israel, hopefully on...

“Like all of Israel’s incoming tour operators, we too have been enjoying an excellent year,” says Tamar Lurye, general manager, incoming for Ophir Tours, who took up her new position in September (see EMTT #323). “Business has been good from both new and veteran clients from all of...

“I immigrated to Israel nearly 10 years ago,” recalls Naftali Steg, managing director of Naftali Tours, “and I had never been involved in tourism before. But I started to work for the World Union of Jewish Students, where my job was to show Israel to young, English-speaking non-Jewish leaders...

The management of the Alhambra Palace Jerusalem, which supplies lunch on route to tourists visiting Jerusalem (see EMTT #315), has opened a similar operation at a 1000-pax restaurant in Eilaboun, in the Galilee, seven kilometers north of the Golani Junction and on the main...

“When the Intifada broke out more than 10 years ago, visits to Herodion, located in the Judean Desert about 10 minutes from Jerusalem, decreased sharply,” remarks Yael Zilbershtein, director of the Israel Nature & Parks Authority’s Dead Sea Area Education Center. “However, this has changed...

Tiberium, a musical water show on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, was inaugurated recently. Located on the southern part of the promenade, it features a multi-sensory show with a fountain reminiscent of that in the Belazio Hotel, Las Vegas, a spokesperson for the new attraction...

At a cost of about NIS 2.5 million, the first stage of the “Around the Sea of Galilee” Bicycle Trail was inaugurated a few months ago. The project is being financed by the Israel Ministry of Tourism. The newly-inaugurated section, stretching from Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee’s western shore...

The Jesus Trail, a 65-kilometer trail route complete with maps and coordinates that can be downloaded from the Internet, is a journey from Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee, village to village, on the paths Jesus walked. It starts off in Nazareth and passes through sites such as Sepphoris, Cana, the Horns...

“We have no ‘parents,’ so to speak, we’re not supported by government, regional councils or even much by the private sector,” comments Gali Kedar, one of three volunteers that operate “Marvad Yarok” (Hebrew for “Green Carpet”), which promotes tourism to Wadi Ara. “We do belong...

Danish airline Cimber Sterling Air has started to operate three flights a week from Copenhagen to Tel Aviv - the airline’s first non-European destination - reports a company spokeperson, who adds that the airline...

Enot Tzukim, also known as Ein Feshka, the nature reserve located by the banks of the Dead Sea not far from Qumeran, is developing plans to increase the number of foreign tourists visiting it. The site, a nature and archeology site at least two millennia old, which has been under the aegis...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism launched the 2010-11 tourism exhibition season this past September, when it took part in Top Resa, Paris, France’s annual professional travel trade fair. The Israel pavilion, the same one to be used in many of the fairs in which the country participates, is new this year. It is 200 m² in size and has been designed to highlight historical and cultural elements, a Ministry of Tourism spokesperson explains, while placing ...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, 270,000 tourists visited Israel in September 2010, an increase of 11 percent over the figure for September 2009 and two percent more than in September 2008. About 22,300 cruise visitors...

Early in October, the Israel Ministry of Tourism launched “iSrael,” an iPhone tourism application. The app is able to identify user locations in Israel, enabling people to receive fast and updated information on sites, tours, accommodation and events taking place in the immediate area, as well...

A joint committee of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and the Galilee has put together a working plan for financing and developing tourism infrastructure throughout the two regions. Based on meetings held prior to the committee’s decision, it was...

“We took over business on August 1st at the hotel known until then as the Regency Jerusalem - the former Hyatt Jerusalem Regency - and we began to operate it as the Dan Jerusalem,” says hotel General Manager Yehuda Kraus. “We started to implement changes right away - stopgap...

The Carlton Hotel Tel Aviv was selected as Israel’s Best Business Hotel for 2010 by the Academy of International Tourism at the Academy’s annual ceremony, held early this October in Antalya Turkey. The prize...

Developed in a 1936 Bauhaus building in Haifa, the Gallery Hotel, located in the Hadar Carmel neighborhood of the city, opened as a 40-room property in 2007. Two of the hotel’s accommodation units are suites, outfitted with a convertible sofa in the salon, along with DVD player, coffee/tea set, two plasma...

Ministry of Tourism Budget Proposal - & a Few Other Issues According to the proposal set forth by the Israeli government, the overall budget for the Israel Ministry of Tourism for 2011 is slated to be NIS 745 million (nearly $200 million), with a further NIS 725 million...

“Some time last year we began to examine the reality in the market and how difficult it was for independent hotels to survive and compete with the chains,” recalls Park Hotel Jerusalem Sales & Marketing Manager David Szeinuk. “That’s when five economy hotels in various regions in Israel...

Tourism marketing veterans Oded Marcus and Gili Gazit, who last worked together on incoming tourism at the (former) Azorim Hotel Chain and before that with Accor Israel (which also no longer exists), have teamed up again to form “Marcus & Gazit Sales and Marketing in Tourism Ltd.,” otherwise...

The Montefiore Hotel, located on a small pedestrian promenade in the center of Jerusalem, is about to undergo a program of room reservations as part of an overall upgrading project estimated to cost about NIS 15 million, says hotel General Manager Gili Azoulay, who also...

“Our company was called ‘Tours in English’ until recently, but we decided to change it to Green Olive Tours, since we felt that our old name was just too generic,” explains Director Fred Schlomka. “Nevertheless we’ve still maintained our Tours in English web site and about...

Following the opening last year of the Good Samaritan Museum at the traditional site of the Inn of the Good Samaritan, located in the northern Judean Desert just off the main road connecting Jerusalem with the Dead Sea, the site of the inn itself, identified as the setting for the New...

More than NIS 100 million (in excess of $25 million) have been earmarked by Israel for a multi-annual program to promote bicycling in Israel, with a significant portion of this budget earmarked for the development of cycling and bicycle tourism routes. As part of this project, the Israel Ministry...

Israel Minister of Transport & Road Safety Yisrael Katz has instructed his office to renew naval activity at the Tel Aviv Port within two years, and he has appointed a special committed to prepare the port for the transition. According to the plan proposed by...

“Shvil Hasalad (The Salad Path), a private farm on Moshav Talmei Yosef near Israel’s Negev Desert border with Egypt, offers visitors an opportunity to experience an agricultural farm firsthand, seeing, tasting and picking seasonal vegetables and spices in the fields and hothouses...

A new archeological exhibition opened recently at Kibbutz Beit Guvrin in the Negev, adjacent to the Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park and its assortment of caves and other remnants from ancient times. The artifacts on exhibit - collected by kibbutz members over the years from the sites...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, 280,000 tourists visited Israel in August 2010, the largest number of tourists from abroad ever to visit Israel in any August, an increase of seven percent over the figure for August 2009 and six...

The Ministry of Tourism’s Investments Administration, which started operating a number of months ago, has approved grants to date of about NIS 180 million for 21 hotel projects, based a total investment in them in the neighborhood of NIS 1 billion, a spokesperson for the Ministry says. All of these...

The Israeli government’s Ministers Committee for Internal Affairs and Services has adopted a plan submitted by the Ministry of Tourism 12 years ago for a nation outline program for land use that also takes the needs of tourism into consideration. The program defines government...

The Egged bus company has been experimenting with an Internet infrastructure that would provide Wi-Fi connectivity on all of its interurban buses. Currently, 20 buses operate on the lines connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the Galilee, and the Golan Heights, and Egged...

Island Suites, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea by Netanya’s southern coast, is scheduled to open on the first of November this year, the first new hotel in the city in 20 years, a spokesperson for the property says, and the first hotel in Israel to open under a Supreme Court ruling that allows...

The Tzfat Kabbalah Center, located in Safed, has renovated and upgraded its visitors’ center, a spokesperson for the company says. As part of its offerings, it now screens a film on the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) in Russian, Spanish, English and Hebrew, accompanied by a lecture...

Harley Davidson clubs in Europe conducted an 11-day motorcycle rally in Israel a few months ago, similar to the events the clubs organize in other destinations throughout the world. The event in Israel was...

Tel Aviv has been listed by National Geographic as one of world's 10 best beach cities, on a list that also includes Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, Nice and Cape Town. “Call it Miami Beach on the Med,” the article states. “Tel Aviv is the Dionysian counterpart to religious Jerusalem. In the ‘bubble,’ as it’s...

The Association for Tourism Tel Aviv-Jaffa has launched “Tel Aviv Gay Vibe,” a six-month campaign to market the city to gay communities in France and Germany, accompanied by low-cost three-night flight and accommodation packages, reports Association Director ...

Interior designer Andreas Neudahm has been working with the Fattal Chain in Europe for the past few years, handled the task of renovating, designing and upgrading its Leonardo properties there, all on...

“Until recently, we managed three hotels only, the Daniel Dead Sea, the Daniel Herzliya and the Shizen, which is located as a hotel within a hotel at the Daniel Herzliya, and while we have been doing business as Tamares, we were known popularly as the Daniel chain,” remarks...

“We became involved with the Deborah Hotel about six years ago,” says hotel Manager Meir Daabul who, with two other partners took over management of this Tel Aviv property then. “Nevertheless, even though we developed a new meeting room a while back, with seating for...

The Diaghilev, a new hotel in Tel Aviv, was constructed well over a decade ago as part of a heritage building and therefore classified as a heritage building in its own right. Though constructed as a hotel, it never was used for that purpose, or for much of anything else, until taken over by...

At a cost of about NIS 18 million (more than $4.75 million), the Atlas Hotel Chain has been renovating Tel Aviv’s Shalom Hotel (see EMTT #313), which it has leased from the owner for a period of 20 years, and the hotel is expected to be operational some time in October. Rebranded as...

“Caring for the environment is a concern of our international chain, to be sure,” responds Gilad Shloush, the director of human resources for the Tel Aviv Hilton Hotel, and the chain instituted a ‘We Care’ environmental awareness program at all of its properties about five years ago, but that...

“About three years ago, when we decided to change our focus and start taking bookings for groups, we also began a project to refurbish all of our 65 rooms,” says Lynne Shorr, manager of the Armon Yam Hotel, located in Bat Yam opposite the Mediterranean Sea. “The truth is, we should...

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has announced plans to open a hotel on Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard and has signed a $50 million-agreement to purchase a block of buildings at the southern end of the boulevard - five lots currently occupied by buildings slated for preservation. Plans call...

Hatachana (“the station” in Hebrew) is a new tourism site that just opened in Tel Aviv on a large plot of land featuring German Templar and Turkish Ottoman buildings renovated with the support of Israel’s Sites Preservation Council. Back in the late 19th century this was the site of the...

As part of renovation activities the Jaffa Governance has been carrying out at the northern entrance to Jaffa to reconstruct the urban texture of 19th-century life in Jaffa, work has been completed on renovating the Ottoman Turkish Soraya building, constructed by the Ottoman Empire in 1897 as its...

Located in the Ramat Aviv neighborhood of Tel Aviv, in an area of the city where the Eretz Israel Museum, Palmach Museum and the Museum of the Diaspora are also located (and which has gained a reputation as Tel Aviv’s “Museum Mile”), the Israeli Museum at the Yitzhak Rabin Center, which...

“Until recently, our activities focused on the marina itself,” explains Ofer Mor, deputy ceo of the Municipal Company for the Development of Tourism in Herzliya. “Only about two years ago was it decided that they would be expanded to focus also on tourism development in the marina and...

After being closed for renovations, the planetarium at the Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv reopened a few months ago. Among its new features are a rotating seating area - a unique element that exists in no other planetarium anywhere in the world, a spokesperson for the museum...

(By EMTT Special Jerusalem Correspondent & Former Director IGTO, London Amnon Lipzin) The U.K. was Israel’s fourth largest source for tourists in 2009, with about 181,000 tourism entries - a drop of six percent when compared...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, 280,000 tourists visited Israel in July 2010, an increase of 11 percent over the figure for July 2009 and seven percent more than in July 2008. About 1.9 million visitors from abroad...

According to the results of a survey of 25,500 foreign tourists visiting Israel in 2009, undertaken for the Ministry of Tourism, the country’s archeological sites were rated 4.6 (out of 5; up from 4.2 in 2008), guides and organized tours were rated 4.5 (4.3 in 2008), the reception tourists received from...

About NIS 4 million have been invested to date in improvements at the Holiday Inn Ashkelon, “and more will be spent during the rest of the year to make the hotel even better,” says Jacob Sudri, general manager of AFI Israel, of which the Holiday Inn Ashkelon is...

“It has been a good year for us,” states Paolo Fetz, general manager of the American Colony, Jerusalem. “Our forecast for 2010 was about 81 percent; so far, we’ve been running an average 85-86-percent occupancy rate, and it seems that this will continue through the rest of the year. Our mix...

Having taken over management of its in-house spa about one year ago (see EMTT #308), the David Citadel, Jerusalem has upgraded the workout equipment available for hotel guests - who are required no longer to pay a fee to enjoy its services and facilities - and has installed TechnoGym...

The Fattal Hotel Chain has invested about NIS 8 million (more than $2 million) in opening “Funtasia,” its new amusement park in Eilat, situated adjacent to - and a part of - King City, the themed attraction it started to manage a few months ago (see EMTT #318). It, like Kings City, will be...

During a visit to Israel in August, JetBlue CEO & President David Barger signed an agreement with El Al CEO & President Elyezer Shkedy to enable passengers to purchase a single ticket in one transaction, for...

The Israeli government has approved a proposal introduced by Minister of Transport & Road Safety Yisrael Katz, to allocate NIS 56 million to work on detailed planning for a new international airport for Israel, to be located at Timna, about 18 kilometers north of Eilat. The cost of constructing the...

All the official tourism activities of the Municipality of Jerusalem were incorporated early this year into the Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA). “Tourism is a part Mayor Nir Barkat’s overall vision for the city, and an important priority, along with culture, which complements it,” explains...

Herods Gate (known also as Flowers Gate), which first opened in 1539 and is one of the seven active gates leading into the Old City of Jerusalem, reopened recently after months of rehabilitation and conservation work. The gate and sections of the Old City walls adjacent to it were treated during...

The Assuta Medical Center recently celebrated its first anniversary at its new premises in Tel Aviv in the city’s Ramat Hahayal district. “As a result of this move we’re in a better position than ever to offer the best medical tourism services available in Israel,” asserts Nurit Agiv...

Following the admission of Israel earlier in the year, as a full-fledged member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD), the organization plans to hold an official conference in Israel for the first time this coming October, to be attended by heads of organization’s Tourism Committee. Ministry of Tourism Director-General Noaz Bar-Nir addressed a meeting of the OECD’s Tourism Committee in June, presenting the plans Israel had developed to host the organization’s 86th conference, which is to take place in Jerusalem. The purpose of the conference, to be held 20-22 October 2010, is to discuss “green” tourism as a catalyst for...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, 259,000 tourists visited Israel in June 2010, the best June ever on record, an increase of 24 percent over the figure for June 2009 and eight percent more than in June 2008. About 214,000 of the...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has established a fund for the renovation of hotels, as well as a list of criteria to determine how money will be made available to properties interested in taking advantage of it. “Finally, there seems to be a budget for hoteliers, to help share the costs of refurbishing...

The Tel Aviv Hotel Association, in cooperation with the Association for Tourism Tel Aviv-Jaffa, has been hosting agent seminars in targeted European countries on an annual basis for more than 15 years. The U.K. and France were its original target markets; Germany was added a few years ago; now Russia...

As mentioned in EMTT #319, the Grand Court Jerusalem marked its fifth anniversary this past June with a reception at the hotel. “Since our guests come from many different markets,” explains Dudi Ashkenazi, general manger of the Grand Court (and of the Grand Beach, Tel Aviv too), “we decided...

At a cost of about $7000,000, the Renaissance Tel Aviv has completed renovations on its pool/health club area and has taken over management of the facilities there after they had been outsourced to a private company for many years, reports hotel General Manager Meir Keinan. The facility, which reopened...

Having established itself as a hotel for the business market since opening about two years ago, the Crowne Plaza City Center has been looking into other niche markets as a way of broadening its tourism base, reports hotel General Manager Ron Yariv. “This is quite important for us, particularly...

Renovations have been completed on 40 rooms in the main hotel building of the Ramot Resort Village, located in the southern Golan Heights, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. “Until recently,” explains Ramot Manager Aviram...

The Sharon Hotel, Herzliya has just competed renovations to all the rooms on its second floor, where its executive lounge is located. These include nine “superior” rooms - all with balconies - and 15 somewhat larger accommodation units in the hotel’s “Bella Vista” category, including one...

Tamares Hotels, which manages the Daniel properties by the Dead Sea and in Herzliya, as well as the Shizen Hotel, a hotel located within the Daniel Herzliya, is expanding to northern Tel Aviv, where it will manage...

Israir Airlines has taken possession of the first of two Airbus A320 planes it has ordered. The planes - the first Airbus craft ever delivered to an airline in Israel - will operate on Israir’s international flights and those flying in and out of Eilat. “Receiving this new plane symbolizes the...

Sun D’Or Airlines has inaugurated a business class compartment with 16 seats, on its flights between Minsk (Belarus) and Tel Aviv. According to Sun D’Or General Manager Bezalel Karvat: “Since the Tel Aviv-Minsk route is used primarily by people flying for reasons of tourism, vacations, and family...

Further to the recent visit to China by Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov (see EMTT #319), the minister met with Shanghai officials to discuss the broadening of tourism cooperation between Shanghai and Israel. The two sides - along with El Al and Air China - agreed to...

LOT Polish Airlines hosted a reception at the Renaissance Tel Aviv early in July to mark the appointment of Israel tourism company Open Skies as the airline’s representative in Israel, Addressing guests on this occasion, LOT President & CEO Sebastian Mikosz announced that “…our major...

Anat Starik-Dahan has been appointed vice president, marketing & sales for Tamares Hotels. Starki-Dahan holds a B.A. in English Linguistics from Tel Aviv University and a certificate in Hotel Management from Israel’s...

“Brazil is hot now,” exclaims Kurt Kaufman, co-managing director of Genesis Tours, “and we have decided that we need additional speakers of Spanish and Portuguese on our staff, to meet the growing demand. Momentum is strong in this market. It has been developing at a rapid pace...

Danny Lempel, in charge of Spanish-speaking markets for Israel tour operator International Travel & Congresses, returned recently from Central America, where he held a number of workshops for agents there, in cooperation with the company’s local representatives, also visiting with local agents...

“Israel Scientific Instruments Ltd., our parent company, which has been involved in the field of medical equipment for many years, took part in the first medical tourism conference in San Francisco, organized by the Medical Tourism Association [MTA] a few years ago,” relates Natalie Steiner, vice president, marketing...

At long last, the Government of Israel has approved a proposal put forth by the country’s Minister of Tourism and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, calling for the abolition of the visa requirement for tourists from the Ukraine. According to Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov, his office has been active for a number of years in the Ukraine to promote tourism from that country to Israel, but that the need for tourists to endure a long and complicated process in order to obtain a visa, has hampered these efforts and also the ability to take advantage of the tourism potential from the Ukraine, to a significant degree. About 73,500 tourists from the Ukraine visited Israel in 2009, and the ministry predicts that as a result of the new agreement, which should be signed later this year after it has been ratified by both ...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 309,000 tourists visited Israel in May 2010, the best May ever on record, an increase of 33 percent over the figure for May 2009 and four percent more than in May 2008.

For the first time since the year 2000, when, in the wake of the Intifada, Israeli tour guides and bus drivers were forbidden to take tourists to Bethlehem, a group of 50 such professionals - selected from among about 500 that applied - have been granted permission to accompany...

Following the success of the project to grade rural accommodation units (zimmers) in the Galilee - an initiative of the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and Galilee - Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov has decided to expand the process of grading zimmers (bed & breakfast...

AFI Hotels is continuing its program of renovations and upgrading of its Crowne Plaza properties in Israel and has turned its attention to the Crowne Plaza Dead Sea, where it is has invested about NIS 8 million...

The Port Hotel, a new three-storey property, opened in Tel Aviv a little more than one year ago. Situation a short walk from the Tel Aviv Port entertainment and nightlife area - hence its name - the hotel offers 21 rooms (some double, some twin), all outfitted with showers, LCD tv, coffee/tea...

“We’ve been enjoying an occupancy rate of about 90 percent these past few months,” reveals Shalom Oman, general manager of Jerusalem’s Olive Tree Hotel. “Since our location is ideal for the Christian pilgrimage market, just about all of our incoming business is from...

“My vision places greater emphasis on a return to true service in f&b, something we all seem to have forgotten,” says Yaron Liberman, who took over as food & beverage manager at the Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel & Towers a few months ago, “and I’ve started to train our staff to be aware...

The Ritz Hotel Jerusalem has been working on a program to renovate all the rooms in the hotel and to improve other areas too, reports General Manager Issa Dahdal. “Work began in December 2007, when we started on the fourth - the topmost - floor of the hotel. As part of...

Late this past year, the Golden Walls Hotel, Jerusalem completed expansion work on its dining room at a cost of about $500,000, by adding space to it from its old kitchen, and the facility can now seat 210 guests at a time, says Fahmi Nashashibi, co-owner/general manager of the hotel. At the same...

The former St. George Hotel, inaugurated in 1965 as a five-star property in East Jerusalem by the late King Hussein of Jordan and which closed down a number of years ago and was reopened afterwards as a budget hotel offering fewer than 50 rooms, is now being rebuilt based on Islamic...

James Shammas took over as co-owner and manager of the 15-room Azzahra Hotel & Restaurant in East Jerusalem more than a decade ago, and the last time the property underwent major renovations was in the year 2000, with work carried out in the rooms, public sitting area and the garden...

Positioned as a “good three-star hotel suitable for many different markets,” says Marketing Manager Firas Amad, and with about 25 percent of its rooms overlooking Jerusalem’s Old City, the Holyland Hotel was built...

All the rooms in East Jerusalem’s Christmas Hotel were renovated in 2007-8, reports hotel General Manager Sandra Jarjoui. The hotel was closed for about a year while the changes were being implemented and its 36 rooms were reconfigured into 28 rooms and six suites. The bathrooms...

Renovations are nearing completion at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem and the museum is scheduled to reopen on 26 July 2010. The project encompasses 8000 m² of new construction and 20,000 m² of renovated gallery space within the museum’s existing 80,000m² architectural...

Nearly 14 years after one of the most beautiful mosaics ever to be seen in the country was covered over, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), in cooperation with the municipality of Lod has re-exposed a 1700-year-old mosaic. The mosaic, which is extraordinarily well preserved, an Israel...

Further to the report in EMTT #308 regarding future developments at Beth Hatefutsoth Tel Aviv, the Nahum Goldmann Museum of the Jewish Diaspora, the museum has announced a plan to renovate its structure and redefine its focus. According to the announcement, about $25 million...

A new exhibition, “Virtues of Memory: Six Decades of Holocaust Survivors’ Creativity,” opened in April at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day. The exhibition showcases the creative works of close to 300 Holocaust survivors whose artistic expressions...

Design Museum Holon, designed by world-renowned Israeli architect Ron Arad, opened early in March in Holon. The $17 million museum is committed to showcasing the importance of quality design and its...

A new exhibit featuring ancient coins unearthed at the spot, the oldest of which dates back more than 2000 years, has been unveiled at the Ethan and Marla Davidson Exhibition and Virtual Reconstruction Center, located at the entrance to the Ophel Archeological Park, between Dung...

Approval has been granted by the Israel Airports Authority (IAA), for planes to take off from Ben Gurion International Airport during night hours, between 1:40 and 4:30 am, when they have been prevented from doing so until now. Permission for this has been granted for craft with a noise level...

In keeping with the decision by the Israel Ministry of Transport earlier in the year to allow El Al Israel Airlines to operate regularly scheduled services between Tel Aviv and Eilat, the airline began late in June to market these flights, which are scheduled to begin on the first of August. Marketing...

Bicycle tourism, an offshoot of the sustainable tourism movement, is in the process of becoming a meaningful market segment in the country, reports Oded Shoham, owner of Gal-Galil, a company located on Moshav Shadmot Dvora in the Lower Galilee, that specializes in bike trips and...

Part of a developing worldwide phenomenon, the field of medical tourism has been growing in Israel too, and in 2008, according to one report, the country welcomed about 35,000 such tourists and enjoyed income from the treatments they booked, in the neighborhood of $100 million. Dentistry is one...

Guide Yoel Oren is offering a series of regularly-scheduled hikes that are open for public registration, but can also be booked individually as private trips One-day hikes include: Wadi Qelt, from Ein Farrah to Ein Qelt (in the area northeast of Jerusalem); The Jerusalem Hills, from the Ketalav...

Delta Air Lines is increasing passenger capacity between Israel and the United States by nearly 39 percent with the addition of Boeing 747-400 aircraft on its nonstop Tel Aviv-New York route. The 747 replaces the smaller 767-300ER aircraft and complements daily nonstop 777-200ER service...

CNAirways, the private flights unit of Chim Nir Flight Services, with a fleet of 22 helicopters, and private planes, has unveiled its newest program of both private executive jet and helicopter tours. Based at the Herzliya Airport, but with authority to use the helipad atop Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Towers, the airline...

Safed’s annual “Kleizmer” Festival (featuring what is often termed “Jewish soul music”), will take place this year between 10-12 August. This year’s program will be preceded for the seventh year in a row by weeklong master classes in the clarinet, offered by well-known clarinetists from...

The Southern ramparts of the Jerusalem’s Old City walls, from Jaffa Gate in the direction of Dung Gate, will remain open in July and August until 10 pm (as well as during the day), reports Cynthia Douieb, deputy...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism initiated a new advertising campaign early in May at a cost of NIS 34 million. The campaign is scheduled to run for three-months, and its purpose, a spokesperson for the ministry says, “is to take advantage of the positive trend of late in incoming tourism to Israel by positioning...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 317,000 tourists visited Israel in April 2010, the best April ever on record, an increase of 26 percent over the figure for April 2009 and nine percent more than...

A survey carried for the Israel Ministry of Tourism following the ministry’s December 2009-January 2010 marketing campaign in Russia - and before the current campaign spring summer campaign there, budgeted at NIS nine million - shows that 65 percent of Russian tourists would be interested...

Responding to a request from Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Mesizhnikov, a spokesperson for the Israel Ministry of Tourism reports, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations has initiated a campaign among Jewish communities in the U.S. to promote...

“I’ve come full circle,” says Danny Alkalai, who returned recently to Jerusalem to serve as general manager of the Leonardo Plaza Jerusalem, the property he left 27 years ago as reception manager (when it was a Canadian Pacific hotel), to move to Tiberias, and work at the Canadian Pacific...

The Dan Hotels Corporation has purchased the Regency Jerusalem (the former Hyatt Regency Jerusalem) for about $47 million and has announced its intention of renovating the hotel and operating it as a “first-class...

The Ramon Hotel in Mitzpe Ramon opened recently. The cost of the project was about NIS 15 million, reveals Gil Azoulay, whose company also manages two hotels in Jerusalem - the Montifiore Hotel and the Jerusalem Inn. Situated adjacent to Mitzpe Ramon, the new...

“We’re a chain of three small hotels - the Little House in Baka, the Little Hotel in the Colony and the Little House in Rehavia - in three of Jerusalem’s nicer neighborhoods, all owned and operated by the same person,” explains Liat Zusman, manager of the latter. “The Baka property...

(Editor’s note: In EMTT #316, Ariela Shmida-Doron, owner and general manager of the Jerusalem Gold Hotel and president of the Jerusalem Hotel Association, was quoted as saying: “Jerusalem is expensive, certainly when compared to the cost of hotel accommodations in Bethlehem, which can range...

Guided by the fact that so many more women than ever before were occupying key positions in Israel’s hotel industry, Rumi Gorodiski, assistant secretary general of the Israel Hotel Association, decided a couple of years ago to establish the Women Hoteliers Forum. “The general feeling,” Gorodiski...

The Eden Hotel opened recently in Jerusalem. Situated in the Talpiot-Arnona neighborhood of the city, it features 24 fully-equipped suites and rooms, all with air-conditioning, tv and kitchenette.

The Grand Beach Hotel, Tel Aviv has started to offer a mobile telephone deposit service for guests of the hotel. Guests are invited to leave their cell phone at the reception desk, where reception desk clerks will monitor all incoming phone calls, e-mails and SMS messages and present the guest with...

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has announced that the U.S. and Israel have reached an open-skies aviation agreement designed to liberalize U.S.-Israel air services for the carriers of both countries. Israel will...

For the fourth year in a row, Sabraexpress, is operating flights between Stockholm and Tel Aviv. The flights this year began in mid March and will run every Tuesday until 9 November 2010. Sabraexpress is owned by Sabra Tours AB, which together with Sabra Fokus/Sabra Tours Norway is the...

Israir Airlines, Israel tour operator Eshet Incoming, the Fattal Hotel Chain and the Tel Aviv Hotel Association, have launched a Tel Aviv “City Break” Thursday through Sunday, long weekend package based on Israir’s regularly-scheduled flights from Rome and Milan. Accommodations are in a Fattal...

According to statistics released by the Israel Airports Authority for the first quarter of 2010, more than 2.3 million passengers flew in and out of Israel during the first three months of the year, compared with 1.9 million during January-March 2009. Similarly, the number of flights increased by 8.5 percent. Alitalia enjoyed...

The Fattal Hotel Chain has signed a 10-year lease to manage Eilat’s King City theme attraction, and it plans to invest NIS four million (more than one million dollars) in constructing new attractions in the park, which now, unlike under the previous management, will be open on...

“We had a good tourism year in 2009 with more than the average nationwide occupancy rate in our hotels, “exclaims Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav, “and aside from that, after a break of a good numbers of years, we have begun to see new hotels open in the city. Three new boutique properties...

Based on information from the Port of Eilat, more than 50 cruise ships from Europe are expected to drop anchor there, especially between September 2010 and March 2011 - “two to three weekly in high season, with thousands of tourists,” a port spokesperson says. ”This is large increase...

A new ice rink is under construction in Eilat, near the site of the Kings City attraction, and it is scheduled to open by early spring 2011. It is part of a project that will include a number of different attractions, including an 1880m2 Olympic ice rink designed to host international competitions, ice hockey...

The Municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa has announced its intention to lay down infrastructure that will offer free wi-fi service in all the city’s parks and on beaches and major streets. Plans call for this project to be fully operational in about one year. A pilot program is being developed now...

In cooperation with Nazareth’s municipal architect, the Society for the Preservation of Buildings and Historic Sites (HPBHS) is preparing a project for the preservation of historical buildings in the city of Nazareth. According to HPBHS Deputy Director Omri Shalmon, “A major change is about to take...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 313,000 tourists visited Israel in March 2010, the best March ever recorded, an increase of 56 percent...

The Israel pavilion at ITB, which took place early in March in Berlin and served as a showcase for 11,000 suppliers from all over the world, was honored as “Best Exhibitor” at the fair. It had been cited...

“When I took over at the hotel about three years ago, one of my first orders of business was to discuss with the owner, ways of leverage what we have, in order to improve our product and our business,” recalls Eyal Moneta, general manager of Eilat’s Princess Hotel. “Our 64 suites...

The Princess Hotel has received approval from the Municipality of Eilat for the construction of 90 additional suites in four buildings, on part of its lawn area and on one of its tennis courts. This new compound will feature a separate entrance. “The units are being sold on a lease back...

A number of years ago the management then of Israel’s Crowne Plaza Hotels decided to shut down the hotel and renovate it, based on a ‘Garden of Eden’ theme,” mentions the current General Manager David Benheim. “Unfortunately, what it failed to realize was that the true...

The lower level of the Isrotel Chain’s King Solomon’s Palace, Eilat, leading directly out to the new Isrotel Promenade, is being transformed, with two new restaurants, a new large meeting and conference room and a totally renovated and reconfigured spa as part of the program, reports Isrotel...

The Rimonim Eilat Hotel has inaugurated its newly renovated beach, installing 800 meters of ipa wood decks, lawn areas, showers, hammocks, pergolas, chaise lounges and a snack bar. Along with serving as a beach, the area is being marketed as a venue for cocktails, receptions, parties...

Having been appointed recently to the position of general manager of the Fattal Hotel Chain’s Eilat region properties, Roni Aloni is aiming to reposition the hotels under his jurisdiction - and especially those that joined it recently (see EMTT #315) - and to brand them more specifically - so that...

A number of months ago the Queen of Sheba Hilton Eilat inaugurated its new “Chicago” meat restaurant in space occupied previously by “Buffalo,” a former in-house restaurant that also specialized in meat dishes. “The difference is that Chicago is less of a fine dining experience...

Rimonim Hotels, which had been managing two hotel in Eilat, has signed a six-year agreement to manage the Central Park Hotel in the city, reports Assaf Raz, assistant general manager of Rimonim’s Eilat properties, who served as general manager of the Central Park from the time...

As reported in EMTT #313, new furniture has been installed in the dining room of the Dan Eilat. This development was part of the first phase of a three-stage program to renovate the facility, work on which is scheduled to be completed by this coming winter, reports outgoing...

In 2009, the Dan Panorama Eilat renovated 57 “Executive” rooms, along with 10 terrace rooms and four suites, reports outgoing General Manager Lior Mucznik. New carpeting, curtains, bed covers, LCD screens, decorative pillows and lights for the rooms’ make-up tables were among...

The Prima Music Eilat has been equipped with a recording studio, and young guests participating in the hotel’s “A Star is Born” competition, which takes place twice weekly in summer and also at other designated periods during the year, can train free of charge with a voice coach...

Renovations were completed recently on the dining room of the Nova Hotel, Eilat, a member of the Atlas Hotel Chain, explains hotel General Manager Ronen Haskel, “We have reconfigured the area, installed new buffets and new furnishings; nothing remains the same as...

At a cost of about NIS 1 million, the dining room of the Orchid Hotel, Eilat was renovated earlier in the year, reports hotel General Manager Salem Munayyer. In addition, work was carried out to upgrade the look of the swimming pool area. Other improvements include wi-fi connectivity...

The Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem has signed an agreement with the Design Hotels Group to become its first member in Israel, reports David Tucker, assistant manager sales & marketing for the David Citadel and the Mamilla hotels, both of which are owned and managed by...

At a cost of about NIS 15 million, Prima Hotels has purchased the old 80-room Kolton Hotel, its second property in Tiberias, and is rebranding it as the Prima Too. An additional NIS five million is being invested in renovating the hotel. Work began this past January and is scheduled to...

With nine weekly flights scheduled to operate before summer, Air Berlin has considerably increased its frequencies to Israel. In March a third non-stop flight was added to the two existing direct connections between Berlin and Tel Aviv and since March, Air Berlin passengers from Cologne...

Passengers on El Al Israel Airlines departing for Israel from a number of cities in the U.S., are eligible for a free travel cell phone for their use in Israel and to use on all future visits. This promotional offer is available with the purchase of a roundtrip ticket (in certain classes of service) for departures...

IMTM, the 16th International Mediterranean Tourism Market, took place in Tel Aviv, 9-10 February at the Israel Trade Fairs & Exhibition Center. Suppliers from more than 30 countries exhibited at the fair, along with a large number of tourism suppliers from Israel, and a number of foreign countries...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 212,000 tourists visited Israel in January 2010, an increase of 62 percent over the figure for January 2009, 17 percent more than in January 2008, 83 percent more than...

Having inaugurated its new “Kaete Dan” conference hall late last year, which offers theatre-style seating for about 220, and an adjacent section of its old lobby as an anteroom/foyer for coffee breaks (see EMTT #313), the Dan Tel Aviv has been at work to complete the other outlets in the old...

The David InterContinental Tel Aviv has been renovating 300 of its rooms and suites in recent years, a process that began in 2008. One of the latest activities in this regard, which took place at the end of 2009, was designing two new suites - named “Jaffa” and “Mediterranean” (based on the focus...

A new 900m² spa opened last November at the Crowne Plaza Jerusalem. It has been branded a Cybex spa and managed by Cybex, which until recently managed the spa at Jerusalem’s David Citadel Hotel. The cost for improving and expanding the spa at the hotel was in...

“Operating desert jeeps tours has been my dream for many years,” states Amnon Eliyahu, general manager of Israel Kibbutz Hotels. “We tried to get it going a number of years ago, together with the Society for the Protection of nature in Israel, but without much success. Now, finally...

The Gordon Hotel & Lounge, located on Hayarkon St. in Tel Aviv, across from the Mediterranean Sea, is scheduled to open in April. It is a 12-room property on two floors set aside for accommodations, along with an entrance-level reception area, bar and restaurant and a rooftop...

“We’re celebrating the 35th anniversary of our chain this year,” remarks Caesar Premier Sales & Marketing Manager Israel Hayat, “and we’ve built our reputation and success on a base of loyal mid-range customers. We have yet to finalize plans for what we will do to mark the...

The C-Hotel Tiberias had a very good February, with an average occupancy rate of more than 80 percent, reports Orr Bareket, vice president, marketing for C Hotels, to which the Tiberias property belongs. “It’s a European-style hotel on a three-star level, with two separate wings - the C Wing...

Not too long ago, Ariela Shmida-Doron, owner and general manager of the Jerusalem Gold Hotel, assumed the presidency of the Jerusalem Hotel Association. Now, after giving her time to consolidate her views on tourism in Jerusalem and what needs to be done...

“One of my current goals is to make our hotel attractive enough for ultra-Orthodox Jewish visitors, that they choose us as a four-star-level alternative to the deluxe properties they now frequent during their stays in Jerusalem, since up until now, those were the only hotels where they...

The Ein Harod Guest House, consisting of 42 rooms of three different standards, is located on Kibbutz Ein Harod (Ichud), in the vicinity of Mt. Gilboa, not far from Beit Shean. “We offer 26 standard rooms for groups and FITs, 10 wooden houses, each of which features a gallery and corner...

The south wing of the Ramat Rachel Hotel, located on Jerusalem’s Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, has been closed off, to enable the reconfiguration and upgrading of all 79 of its rooms, reports its Marketing Manager Hillel Fine. Sixteen of these are now available to host guests and expectations...

On 1 April 2010 El Al Israel Airlines will join IATA’s Billing and Settlement Plan - BSP - a system designed to facilitate and simplify the selling, reporting and remitting procedures of IATA Accredited Passenger Sales Agents and improve the financial control and cash...

Low-cost carrier easyJet has announced the launching of a Geneva-Tel Aviv route, which is scheduled to begin operating at the end of August as part of an expansion of its network. Starting 30 August, the airline will operate four weekly flights between Geneva and Tel Aviv. The route would...

Israir Airlines has announced the inauguration of regularly scheduled flights between Basel (Switzerland) and Tel Aviv. As of 24 March the airline will operate two weekly flights on this route. The opening of this new route, the first regularly...

As reported in Globes, an Israeli financial publication, according to an internal document distributed by the Israeli Embassy in Portugal, TAP, Portugal’s national carrier, plans to operate a scheduled route between Lisbon and Tel Aviv. During a visit to Spain and Portugal late...

Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle is inaugurating a weekly Stockholm-Tel Aviv route in March. Norwegian Air Shuttle is Scandinavia’s second largest airline, flying between Europe, the Middle East and North America.

A number of world famous performing artist will be in concert in Israel this summer. Veteran British rock star Rod Stewart will play at the Ramat Gan Stadium on 1 July. Also playing at the Ramat Gan Stadium will be British rock star Sir Elton...

Following the success of last year’s first Jerusalem Festival of Light, Jerusalem’s Old City will once again form the backdrop for lighting installations, exhibits and works of art in the “Light in Jerusalem” 2010 festival, scheduled for 9-16 June 2010. This celebration of light in an...

Qasr-el-Yahud the ancient Christian baptism sanctified in Christian tradition as the site of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist, and identified since the fifth century AD as being on the western shores of the river, is in the process of being renovated and if all goes according...

Located in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, the Hurva Synagogue, built originally in the 18th century and destroyed and rebuilt again over the years - until destroyed in 1948 for the last time, after the Old City fell to Jordanian forces, is now in the final stages of a four-year...

“It’s no more than a tourism story, though at times it can become complicated,” says Dany Atar, chairman of the Gilboa Regional Council who, together with the Governor of Jenin Qadoura Mousa, has been working to develop cross-border tourism and tourism programs between...

TLV VIP, a new company offering nightlife services for tourists, has started to operate in Tel Aviv. “There are thousands of visitors to the city, no matter how long they have been here or how often they come, that have no idea of Tel Aviv’s immense assortment of nightlif...

The Association for Tourism Tel Aviv-Jaffa has revealed its marketing plan for the year, and according to the Association’s Director-General Etty Gargir, the theme of the city’s being “Israel’s Playground” will be emphasized. “About two million overnights...

“Tel Aviv views gay tourism as additional leverage for increasing quality tourism to the city,” adds City Councilman Yaniv Weitzman, who has been instrumental in getting the support of the city in promoting it to gay markets. “Therefore, this market will be targeted too as part...

The Jerusalem Development Authority and the Municipality of Jerusalem are in the process of rehabilitating and upgrading the public areas around the Old City’s Jaffa Gate. The work is being carried out by the East...

Kibbutz Neot Smadar, a kibbutz located in the Negev near Ouvda International Airport (which serves incoming tourists flying into Eilat), has begun to promote visits to its facilities, that include a tour of the kibbutz, its sites and activities, along with an explanation of its “alternative” way...

After extensive restoration work carried out by Israel’s Nature and National Parks Protection Authority, Abraham’s Gate reopened to the public recently at the Tel Dan Nature Reserve in northern Israel. Composed of sun-dried mud brick on a foundation of large basalt...

At a press conference held by the Ministry of Tourism late in December at the Leonardo Plaza Hotel Tel Aviv, Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov presented statistical data on incoming tourism to Israel in 2009 and outlined the ministry’s plans for the next three years. According to data presented by the Minister, 2.7 million tourists...

In the course of his visit to Brazil late last year, where he accompanied Israel President Shimon Peres, Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov signed a tourism agreement with Brazil. In inking the new accord, Misezhnikov, the first Israel Minister of Tourism to pay a working visit t...

“About 40 percent of the occupancy rate at the Dan Carmel is comprised of business guests, and practically all of this is from foreign tourists,” remarks Adi Maor, general manager of the Dan Hotel Corporation’s Haifa properties: the Dan Carmel; Dan Panorama Haifa, and the Dan...

Renovations are scheduled to begin on f&b outlets situated the fourth floor of the David Citadel, the dining level, reports David Tucker, assistant manager sales & marketing for the David Citadel and the Mamilla hotels, both of which are owned and managed by Alrov Hotels. The coffee...

Following finalization of the purchase by the Fattal Hotel Chain of all the hotels belonging to Azorim Hotels and the rebranding of many of them as Leonardo properties (see EMTT #314), the chain has reorganized its sales and marketing operations to deal with the new reality of owning...

The Daniel Hotel Herzliya opened two new executive two-room suites this past July, reports Ronit Copeland, vice president, sales & marketing for the Tamares chain, which manages the hotel. The design is hi-tech and minimalistic, she adds. Two additional executive suites are now...

About three years ago, 85 rooms and suites on five floors of the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv were totally refurbished and upgraded (and the hotel invested even more in these in 2009, upgrading them with higher beds and mattresses, better quality linen and larger LCD tvs). Soon after these 85 room...

The Carlton Hotel, Tel Aviv has started to operate a sushi bar in its lobby. It has also introduced a meat menu as part of its lobby offerings, as well as a new cocktails menu.

Megiddo National Park (traditional site of the New Testament Armageddon), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, is in line for a face-lifting, reports a spokesperson for the Israel Nature & Parks Authority, which manages the site. As part of the plan, the entrance area to the park will be...

About 20 years ago the Alhambra Cinema, the foremost cinema in East Jerusalem, closed down and until recently it has remained shuttered. Recently, however, the building, located on Salah-a-Din Street, was renovated and, at a cost of about $2.3 million, the property opened as a totally...

After examining the implications for competition, of the code sharing agreement signed between El Al and Air China on the route between Israel and China, Israel’s Antitrust Authority has approved it, ruling that the agreement does not threaten competition in any significant way. Rather, explained...

A new program named “Cook in Israel” has been developed for tourists by Orly Ziv, a professional clinical dietician. Designed for small groups of from six to 12 participants, the offerings are one-day outings primarily, though a two-day tour to the Galilee is available too. Each tour focuses...

“Behold, days are coming… when I will make a new covenant…,” is the title of a new program for Christian pilgrims that has been developed by the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem. It is based on a talk that follows the biblical stories in the Old Testament and their relationship to the...

Alon Gafni, who has been organizing desert adventure tours in the area of Mitzpe Ramon and the Ramon Crater, began recently to offer jeep tours in the Jehosephat Valley area of the southern Negev Desert, close to Eilat. The tours, with guiding in English, Hebrew or French, take place...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 330,000 tourists visited Israel in October 2009, nine percent more than the number for October 2008. An increase of six percent was registered this past October in the number of tourists spending at least one overnight in Israel and a 20 percent increase...

In cooperation with the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of the Interior has introduced a pilot project assuring that tourist visas will be issued within 48 hours to organized groups from the Ukraine. Until now, the procedure took up to 10 work days. According to a Ministry of Tourism...

Meeting in Jerusalem early in December, Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov and Cyprus Minister of Commerce, Industry & Tourism Antonis Paschalides agreed to bolster tourism cooperation between their two countries. Among the steps decided upon at the...

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has announced plans for its first property in Israel, to be situated at the Herzliya Marina, just a few miles north of Tel Aviv. Due to open in March 2012, the 110-room hotel will also include 85 Ritz-Carlton Residential Suites. About $160 million is being investment...

“We are doing quite well,” remarks Ron Yariv, general manager of the Crowne Plaza City Center Tel Aviv, situated in one of the three towers that constitute Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Center. “At first, the hotel, which opened in August 2008, was trying to sell itself with a Ritz-Carlton sort of image...

In the wake of the approval granted to the agreement by the Israel Antitrust Authority, the purchase by the Fattal Hotel Chain of all the hotels belonging to Azorim Hotels, reported in EMTT #309, has been finalized and, at a cost of about $500,000, the hotels added to the Fattal chain are in the...

The Marina Hotel Tel Aviv has been undergoing renovations, reports hotel General Manager Paul Milwidsky. The first phase was implemented this past June and July in four rooms and four suites, with upgrading work that included replacing the windows, bathrooms, plumbing, air-conditioning...

IMTM 2010, the 16th International Mediterranean Tourism Market, Israel’s annual tourism and travel fair, organized by Ortra Ltd. and Israel Travel News Ltd., is scheduled to take place on 9-10 February 2010 in Tel Aviv at the Israel Trade Fairs & Exhibition Gardens. Japan, Portugal and Estonia...

The Dan Eilat has been ranked in seventh place on the top 10 list of Cond? Nast Traveler’s 2009 Readers’ Choice Awards in the Middle East’s resort hotel category. It was the only hotel in Israel to be named to this roster. “The honored privilege to appear on the list of such a renowned...

“All our 217 rooms, including our junior suites, were upgraded within the last 18 months, with new carpeting, curtains and fabrics,” reports David Szeinuk, sales & marketing manager for the Park Hotel, Jerusalem. “However, improvements in the 30 rooms on the sixth floor have been...

Streamlining Energy Use in Hotels Late in December (after we will have gone to print), the Israel Hotel Association is sponsoring a conference on “Streamlining Energy Use in Hotels,” scheduled...

“We are the largest conference hotel in the North of Israel,” remarks Saleem Ghomeid, sales manager, business accounts for the Golden Crown Nazareth, “and we’ve been working of late to improve our meetings product, as a way of attracting not only local conferences, meetings and...

For the ninth consecutive year, the Red Sea International Music Festival will be held in Eilat. It is being sponsored by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the Eilat Municipality, the Eilat Hotel Association, the Israel Ministry of...

About 14 winter series are scheduled for Eilat for this winter season, says Eilat Hotel Association General Manager Shabtai (Shabi) Shay: three from Paris (by Touriscope, Arkia and the Isrotel chain), along with El Al’s regularly scheduled flights that feature Eilat extensions; one from Luton...

“In 1996, Jerusalem ranked in fourth place worldwide for international conferences and conventions,” says Ilanit Melchior, tourism business consultant for the Jerusalem Development Authority (JDA). “But soon afterwards the Intifada broke out and international gatherings in the city ground to...

After having been closed for nearly three years in the wake of a fire, the observation tower at the Hula Nature Reserve in the Upper Galilee reopened to the public earlier in the year. NIS 150,000 (nearly $40,000) were invested in tearing down the remains of the old tower and replacing it...

HQ Travels was established in September 2008 as an incoming operation specializing in travel to Israel from the CIS, countries that were part of the former Soviet Union. One significant company focus is on FIT travel, with medical tourism being one of the segments it has been promoting, while parallel...

WTM is the most exciting event of the year in the travel industry. The Israel Government Tourist Office has been preparing to ensure that visitors to our stand EM960 are able to understand fully the range of possible holiday experiences and new opportunities that have...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 242,000 tourists visited Israel in September 2009, eight percent fewer than the number for September 2008, though 32 percent higher than for...

Based on a decision by the Israeli government, the Israel Ministry of Tourism has earmarked NIS 8.5 million for the development of accommodation units in the Negev and Galilee by residents of the rural areas of these regions and for the establishment in the Negev and Galilee...

Tourists from Serbia and from Montenegro visiting Israel are no longer required to obtain a tourist visa. During his visit this past September to the Serbian and Montenegrin capitals, Israel Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Lieberman signed agreements with his counterparts...

“This past decade our Internet business has grown twenty-fold,” states Rafi Baeri, vice president, marketing for the Dan Hotels Corporation. “One of the reasons for this, I believe, is the fact that our site lists full information for all our hotels. Another is that many consumers prefer buying...

Having opened as a “lifestyle” hotel this past June (see EMTT #309) with only four of its floors operational, along with the reception and lobby area complemented by the lobby espresso bar and the signature black metal staircase; the dining room/evening ballroom; three modular...

“We just marked our 10th anniversary and we remain a very successful hotel,” exclaims Dov (Dubi) Rakia, general manager of the Sheraton City Tower, Ramat Gan, located in Israel’s Diamond Exchange area, just over the road from Tel Aviv. “Most of our guests are visitors...

More than a year in the planning, the new sushi bar at the Plaza Jerusalem opened a short while ago in the lobby of the hotel. “Two master sushi men worked these couple of months to adopt their sushi know-how to the rules of kashruth [Jewish dietary laws] without diminishing the...

Located in an old building in Tel Aviv’s Neve Tzedek neighborhood, the Neve Tzedek hotel opened late in 2008. The owners of the hotel, a family from the neighborhood that also owns a local wine bar and a restaurant, were responsible for the design of the property, since one of them...

“The construction of the Isrotel Beresheet Hotel is progressing at a rapid pace and it is expected to open in September 2010,“ reports Isrotel Managing Director Raffi Sadeh. Being constructed at a cost of about $40 million, the...

“Overall, 2009 has been a good year for us,” remarks Etty Levy, general manager of Prima Hotels, “and the most satisfactory development is the substantial increase in the number of FITs booking with us - up about 40 percent. This was our best achievement this year and I’m sure it’s because...

Harris Rosen, president these past 35 years, of Rosen Hotels, consisting of seven properties in Orlando Florida, with a total of about 6000 rooms, spent six days in Israel in October. He was invited by Ben Gurion University of the Negev to attend a symposium on branding...

“We have been devoting much though and action to the food & beverage aspects of our property, and judging by the responses to date, “we have been successful in upgrading our product,” reports David Cohen, general manager of the David InterContinental...

The Orchid Hotel, Tel Aviv is continuing with its program of renovations, which until now has seen all 182 rooms (including 28 suites) refurbished totally, bathrooms included, and new automatic mini bars that were added not long ago. Also refurbished at the same time were the...

The Shalom Hotel, Tel Aviv has become part of the Atlas Chain, which rented it for a period of 20 years. The hotel has just closed down for renovations and expectations are for it to be reopened this coming spring, after having been refurbished and upgraded. The cost of renovating the...

With the incorporation of more and more rooms to its hotel pool from the private apartments that are also a part of the property, the Seasons Hotel, Netanya has been growing and it now features 105 rooms, “compared with the 83 that we had when I started here about a decade...

Based on an agreement between the Olive Tree Hotel, Jerusalem and the Lerner Center at the Mount Scopus campus of Hebrew University, guests staying at the hotel can use the facilities of the Lerner Center gym free of charge. The facility, which is a five-minute drive from the...

During a press conference organized early in August in the offices of the Israel Airports Authority, Israel Minister of Transport Israel Katz reported that his Ministry is considering Ramat David, an Israel Air Force facility located in the country’s North, in the Jezreel Valley, as the site for...

Starting from early November, Lufthansa plans to operate narrow-bodied Boeing 737-800 craft belonging to Swiss airliner PrivatAir on its Munich-Tel Aviv route, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Two classes of service will be available, as they are on Lufthansa’s...

Sabre Holdings has agreed to buy El Al Israel Airline's 49 percent stake in their joint venture Sabre Israel Technologies, the Israeli carrier said, with market sources estimating it was above $10 million. Sabre Israel was set up in 2001 to distribute the Sabre Travel network among...

Delta Airlines plans to introduce Boeing 747-400ER craft on its New York-Tel Aviv route, replacing the Boeing 747-300ER planes it uses now on flights between JFK and Ben Gurion. The larger craft will begin to operate early in June 2010, and will result in an increase of 187 seats daily between the two cities.

As part of the expansion of its activities in Italy, from which it has started to operate regularly-scheduled flights between Israel and both Milan and Rome, Israir Airlines has signed an agreement with AVIAREPS, for that company to serve as its GSA in Italy, to market its flights to Israel there...

Work has being completed on the new auditorium at the Palmach Museum, adjacent to Tel Aviv University in the Ramat Aviv district of the city, which opened officially in October. “Palmach” is the acronym for “Plugoth Mahatz,” Hebrew for “Striking Force,” and the museum...

Late last year, as part of the 10th Olive Branch Festival in Acre, the Crusader Knights Halls in the city served as the venue for the Israel’s joining other Mediterranean countries and founding the Israel Olive Tree Route project, an initiative on the part of UNESCO and the Council...

Tiberias has been investing of late in improving and developing its infrastructure as a tourism city, reports Limor Portal-Lallush, director of the Tiberias Hotel Association, with the major emphasis in two sections - the lakeside promenade and the areas leading down to it, and the area...

“Tal Aviation was founded in 1987 as a global corporation with a strategic vision,” relates Angel Weinstein, the company’s vice president for corporate planning & business development, “and though headquartered in Israel it has started to operate in many countries, mostly in...

“Hertz International is changing,” relates Ariel Tovel, sales manager, leisure for Kesher Rent-a-Car, Hertz franchise holder in Israel. “It’s not just a matter of logo and image, but of becoming reinvigorated and focusing more on changes in customer needs. And we, as Hertz franchisees, are...

The Old Jaffa Development Corporation (OJDC) is in the midst of a massive tourism development project, says Dafna Nof, who serves as an advisor for the OJDC. Part of this is the creation of a new Visitors’ Center. In space in Kedumim Square, Old Jaffa’s...

Located on Kibbutz Lavi, an Orthodox Jewish kibbutz in the Lower Galilee, the Selah Workshop creates personalized experiences designed to supplement tours in Israel, either at the kibbutz, or elsewhere in Israel. Workshops range from two hours to three days in length and are available...

Russell Lord, marketing & tourism consultant for Kenes Tours, has been promoting gay tourism for many years. “I had been organizing gay travel to Israel since the early ‘80s, serving as an informal consultant to colleagues from abroad that wanted information on Israel, but the thought began to...

After months of politics and negotiations, Israel’s budget was finally approved this past July, and for the very first time it is a two-year budget, for 2009 and 2010. “We’ve been allocated NIS 240 million for marketing in 2009 - though we’ve committed ourselves already to about 80 percent...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, more than 260,000 tourists visited Israel in August 2009, two percent fewer than the number for August 2008, when 265,000 came. Of those arriving this past August, 212,000 spent...

During a recent study tour of Haifa, Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov announced that the Ministry would be allocating an immediate NIS 2.4 million (about $640,000), a sum the city was promised three years ago, for tourism marketing. He remarked too...

Thanks to the initiative of the President of Mongolia, who visited Israel in 2008, a new tourism agreement was signed by Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov and his Mongolian counterpart in the course of a recent three-day visit to Israel by a delegation of officials that included...

Polish tour operator Itaka, in cooperation with Diesenhaus Unitours and Israir Airlines, will be inaugurating charter flights this winter season from Crakow Poland to Eilat, reports Yehuda Shen, director Central & Southern Europe Department for the Israel Ministry of Tourism. Specific details...

Israel Minister of Transport & Road Safety Israel Katz has accepted the recommendations of the Israel Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) and has agreed to name El Al Israel Airlines as designated carrier on domestic flights between Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport...

According to data from the Israel Airports Authority, 1.46 million passengers passed through Ben Gurion Airport on 9906 international and internal passenger flights this past August. International passenger traffic during the month stood at 1.42 million passengers, an increase of 6 percent...

Israir Airlines has received final approval from the Israel Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) on its request to be chosen as second designated carrier on regularly scheduled flights between Tel Aviv and both Stuttgart and Berlin (see EMTT #308). As a result, it is operating three weekly...

Finnish wholesaler Aurinkomatkat will be renewing its flights and packages between Helsinki and Eilat this coming winter season. Between October 2009 and April 2010, the company will be offering two weekly flights between the two cities, complementing Aurinkomatkat’s 12 weekly...

In its effort to promote charter flights from Estonia to Israel - and to Eilat in particular - the Israel Government Tourist Office in Scandinavia (which is responsible for Estonia too), will be hosting an event in Tallinn in cooperation with the Eilat Hotel Association, which more...

The Alexander Hotel, Tel Aviv, which increased the number of suites in the all-suite hotel two years ago by adding three units on the first floor in place of the conference room and by transforming the eighth-floor banqueting hall into a very large Presidential Suite (see EMTT #294), has grown...

The Crowne Plaza City Center, Tel Aviv has launched a new service for its business clientele, and high-speed wireless Internet is now available for business guests at the hotel for a period of 24 hours during their stay, as part of the cost of the room. According to Jacob Sudri, general manager...

As reported in EMTT #310, BSM Marketing has been developing an updated version of “Choose to Have it All,” package, combining the Carlton Tel Aviv, The David Citadel in Jerusalem and three Isrotel properties - the Isrotel Royal Beach Eilat, the Carmel Forest Spa Resort in the Carmel...

Scheduled to coincide with the recent opening of the Leonardo Boutique Hotel, Tel Aviv (see EMTT #310) and the opening early in September of the Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin, the Fattal Hotel Chain hosted a group of 10 German travel journalists and 10 German celebrities on...

About NIS 100,000 have been invested in the Caesar Premier Eilat, to renovate and redesign its “Caesar Inter-Gan” children’s club, enabling the refurbished facility to meet the needs of young guests, from infancy and through the age of 16, reports hotel General Manager...

“A few months ago, when I came back to Israel after being in Canada for about half a year, I told Rafi Shelef, International Travel & Congresses CEO] that I was looking for something. He, in turn, explained where he saw the company heading and how he was optimistic about continuing to invest...

“Unfortunately, there has been no Israel Government Tourist Office presence in Denmark since the early 1190s,” says Mette Hvid Hansen, manager of Israel specialist Tikva Travel (Spentrup), who launched her company in 2006 and who started to work with International recently. “Danish...

“Autumn Nights in the Old City,” a project of the Jerusalem Development Authority in cooperation with the Municipality of Jerusalem and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, will take place for the second year in a row Tuesday and Thursday evenings until October 26. Among the activities suitable...

Tourists visiting the site of ancient Caesarea are now able to purchase a single ticket enabling them to explore all the aspects of the area at one all-inclusive price. These include the Caesarea National Park and the antiquities and ancient port located there, the Roman amphitheater and...

A new model of the Second Temple has been inaugurated on the roof of the Aish HaTorah Yeshiva (school for Jewish religious studies), situated in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, overlooking the Temple Mount and the Western Wall, where plans call for it to remain...

Prior to setting off for the U.S. in July, where he flew to discuss ways of bolstering tourism to Israel from North America, Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov spent five days in Russia this June, meeting with his counterpart there Vitaly Mutko, First Minister of Sports, Tourism and Youth Policy. This was...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 252,000 foreigners visited Israel this past July (down four percent over the figure for July 2008, but 17 percent more than the number for July the previous year). Of those...

In an effort targeting Jewish religious audiences, the Israel Ministry of Tourism has decided to market the gravesite of (2nd century AD) Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai as a tourism attraction. The tomb is the focus for festivities that mark the Jewish holiday of Lag Ba’omer each spring, and every Lag...

Recently, in response to the growing number of Japanese tourists that have taken an interest in Israel, the publishers of Japan’s “Globe Trotter” series of travel guides added a volume on Israel. Soon after appearing in bookshops late last year, this new book - the first on Israel in Japanese...

The Leonardo Boutique Tel Aviv, the first hotel in the city located in the Ramat Hahayal/Kiryat Atidim hi-tech district, opened for a running-in period late in July, with 80 of its 167 rooms already operational. It has been branded as a Leonardo property, using the name of the chain...

After a break of about a decade, the American Colony Hotel, Jerusalem has decided to employ an in-house sales and marketing manager, reports General Manager Paulo Fetz. “For the last 10 years or so,” he remarks, “the American Colony has employed the services of an outside...

With the opening of the new spa at The David Citadel Hotel, Jerusalem (see EMTT #308), the hotel has continued to develop spa treatment packages, reports Spa Director Guy Nadler. In addition to a 45-minute massage together with dinner at the David Citadel’s Scala chef’s restaurant, three...

At a cost of about NIS 3 million (more than $750,000), a new tourism complex has been constructed on Kibbutz Tirat Zvi, a religious kibbutz located in the Jordan Valley, about three kilometers from Beit Shean. Known as “Gan B’Eden” (A Garden in Eden), it is a rustic accommodations...

Israel enjoyed a record tourism year in 2008, welcoming an all-time-high 3,031,100 foreign visitors - 32 percent more than the figure for 2007 and 13 percent higher than the previous record (in the year 2000). However, 2009 so far has been a slower year, with up-to-date statistics showing...

Approval has been granted by Tel’s Aviv’s local planning commission to renovate the building that served as the city’s first hotel, located on Lilienblum Sreeet, and to transform it into a boutique hotel. The two-storey...

For private hotels in Israel primarily and especially for those with no international representation, BSM Marketing, managed by hotel marketing veterans Mor Barac and Suzy Ben Dori, have started to offer a service to connect the properties via the Internet to GDS and IDS systems and...

The Okeanus Suites Hotel, situated on the Herzliya beachfront and featuring 42 suites of various sizes for hotel use, juniors, one-bedroom and two-bedroom accommodations all facing the sea and complete with fully-equipped kitchenette, all concentrated on the bottom four residential...

Representatives of the Ministries of Transport of Israel and Switzerland have signed a new aviation agreement enabling additional airlines to operate regularly-scheduled flights between the two countries. The previous civil aviation agreement between Israel and Switzerland was...

The Association for Tourism Tel Aviv-Jaffa has produced and published a new English-language guide to the city, “Visit Tel Aviv-Yafo.” (Ed. note: Yafo is the Hebrew name for Jaffa). The publication covers all of Tel Aviv’s sites and sights. According to Association Director General...

With the opening recently, at a cost of NIS 10 million, of the Museum of the Good Samaritan, located on the Jerusalem-Jericho Road near Ma’aleh Adumim, about 10 minutes east of Jerusalem. Israel has inaugurated its first museum of mosaics at a West Bank Christian site. It is based primarily...

Scheduled to take place between 7-11 March 2010 and with overnights in local field schools, hostels and hotels, Tour d’Israel is being planned as Israel’s first international bicycling competition - a five-day, 768-kilometer cycling event from Mt. Hermon in the North to Eilat on the shores of...

By EMTT Special Jerusalem Correspondent & Former Director IGTO, London Amnon Lipzin For many years, the U.K. was the number one source of tourism from Europe to Israel, and year after year, one third of those that visited...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, about 208,400 foreigners (down 13 percent over the figure for June 2008) visited Israel this past June. Of these, 178,800 were classified as tourist arrivals and out of them, about 154,200 arrived...

A couple of years ago, the former Express by Holiday Inn property that was part of Israel’s Crowne Plaza & Holiday Inn chain (renamed AFI Hotels a short while ago) was rebranded as the Express Beat Eilat and transformed into a hotel for young guests. Just recently, the former Holiday...

Further to the mention in EMTT #308, the Fattal Hotel Chain has purchased Azorim Tayarut’s chain of 12 hotels in Israel, comprised of the former Sheraton Moriah and Accor properties. The hotels bought by the chain are: Eilat: the Moriah Plaza (the former Sheraton Moriah) and...

After years of planning and construction, the Mamilla Hotel, situated in Jerusalem across the road from its sister property The David Citadel, opened for guests this past June. Branded a “lifestyle property” by its creators and management, the Mamilla is a luxury property conceived in a...

The Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem opened a new health club this past April in the area of the hotel leading out to the swimming pool, expanding the previous facility by raising the ceiling and also by adding new space from the old hair salon and from an area vacated by offices that were moved...

“The last major renovations at the hotel took place in the year 2000, and then the focus was on our public areas,” recalls Maya Chass, director of marketing for Hilton Israel. “Now, based on a project that has been in the planning stages for a couple of years [see EMTT #291], we’ve turned our...

At a cost of about NIS 11 million (more than $2.8 million), the swimming pool at the King David Jerusalem and the kiddies pool too have been rebuilt, reports Rafi Baeri, vice president, marketing for the Dan Hotels Corporation (to which the King David belongs). As part of this work, the entire...

At a cost of about NIS 10 million (approximately $2.55 million), renovations, which began in December 2008, have been completed at Prima Hotels, Galilee property, the former Prima Tiberias, now rebranded as the Prima Galil. “Just about everything in the hotel has been...

Five years in the planning, construction of a sister hotel to Abratel Suites in Tel Aviv, behind it on a street running parallel to that where the current property stands, is expected to get underway before the end of the summer, reports Hezi Hacohen, general manager of Abratel Suites. While the current...

The Amiray Hagalil Spa Hotel, a 17-room property located in the Upper Galilee on Moshav Amirim, close by the road connecting Safed to Acre, is part of a developing trend in Israel’s b&b market to develop properties that are larger than “zimmer” enterprises, though smaller than most hotels, and which...

Galit Heller-Halfon has been appointed to serve as director of sales & marketing for the Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem. A 19-year veteran of Israel’s hotel industry, she served at various times in the past as director of sales & marketing, director of corporate sales and f&b manager...

Early in July, at the very last minute, as Israel’s budget was about to be voted on in the Knesset, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened and decided in favor of abolishing the section of the budget proposal that, if enacted, would have made tourism services in the country used by foreigners...

Starting mid December this year, the Isrotel Hotel Chain will operate direct flights from Luton, (London) to Eilat, reports the chain’s Managing Director Raffi Sadeh. “In light of the global economic situation and the decision of tourism wholesalers in the U.K., including El Al, to cease or reduce...

Ben-Gurion International Airport has opened its first fitness facility. The gym, which occupies 200 m² of space and was built at a cost of approximately NIS 4 million, is being operated as a private franchise. It is located...

Budget airline easyJet has announced plans to fly to Israel, scheduling six flights a week between Luton (London) and Ben Gurion starting the first week of November 2009. Flights will depart daily except Friday and tickets have been put on sale already on the airline’s website. “For the first time the traveling public...

Jet 2, the low-cost airline that launched a weekly flight between Manchester and Tel Aviv this past May, is planning to add a second weekly frequency. According to Philip Meeson, chief executive officer of Jet2.com, the decision to add a second service to Tel Aviv is based on increased customer demand. “The feedback...

Authentic Israel, the incoming subsidiary of the Tlalim Group, which underwent a series of transformations over the years - as part of Egged Tours and Kenes Tours at various times and also as owners of Tal Tours in the U.S. during the 1990s and has been working of late as an independent tour...

Through the end of August this summer, the Ramparts Walk on the southern section of Jerusalem’s Old City wall - from Jaffa Gate towards Dung Gate - walls will remain open evenings as well, a spokesperson for the attraction says. In addition to regular daytime hours, visitors will...

“Saving the Stones,” a joint project of the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Old Acre Development Company, Israel’s International Council on Monuments & Sites and the Israel National Commission for UNESCO, is being offered, enabling young adults between the ages of 20 and 30 to become...

The 23rd annual Red Sea International Jazz Festival will take place in Eilat between 23-26 August this year. It will feature performances by 11 international ensembles and 11 from Israel, including world-renowned jazz performers and young local artists. This year marks a change in scheduling...

Avis Israel has prepared for the summer season, renewing its fleet of rental vehicles by purchasing 700 new cars, including the Chevrolet Cruise, Toyota Prius, Mazda 2, 3 and 6, Ford Mondeo and Daihatsu Sirion, among others. “We’ve based our decision on our anticipation of a lively...

The Olympic Experience Museum at Hadar Yosef, Tel Aviv, a one-hour interactive multi-media tour that has been six years in the planning and execution, has finally opened. Developed at a cost of NIS 15 million the five-rings show - five rooms, but defined in keeping with the five Olympic circles - is a theater...

Following the pilgrimage visit to Israel in May of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the Israel Ministry of Tourism has launched a marketing campaign via its Israel Government Tourism Office branches abroad. The campaign is targeting the Catholic Church’s 1.3 billion followers...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, 203,000 tourists from abroad spent at least one night in Israel this past May, a decrease of 20 percent compared with the number for May 2008. In addition, the number of one-day visitors...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism’s Investments Center Administration has approved grants for 10 tourism projects for the North of Israel, Jerusalem, Ashdod and a number of areas in the periphery of the country. The projects selected to receive this benefit are: a new 66-room hotel in Ashdod...

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has been granted Tourism Committee permanent observer status by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), until it is granted full membership status. Earlier in the year, prior to relinquishing his post, the Ministry’s...

After a visit to Eilat as part of his first official tour of tourism cities and sites, Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov is preparing a plan for the development of southern Eilat. Included are projects for the construction of new hotels and other accommodation facilities and the development...

Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov has also come out in favor of a tourism master plan. “For five years, or three at the least,” he insists. “It would enable us to deal with the economic crisis and also develop plans and programs to put us in a position to compete with our neighbors. We’re losing...

Following a speech early in June by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he outlined his vision for lasting peace in the Middle East and - among other things - his understanding of the role tourism could play in this “new order,” Eli Gonen, president of the Israel...

During a recent visit to Tiberias, Israel Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov announced the intention of his office to preserve the legacy of Rabbi Moses Maimonides (known as the Rambam, an acronym for his name), one of the most famous rabbis, philosophers, physicians and scholars...

This past March the Israel Ministry of Tourism inaugurated a tourism office in Beijing China for the first time. The new office was created in the wake of the ADS (Approved Destination Status) agreement signed between Israel and China last year, and expectations are that this accord will...

After scheduling the launch for late last year (see EMTT #302) and then reconsidering the concept it had developed and postponing the inauguration of the facility for a number of months, the Spa at The David Citadel has finally opened. “We’re not located in the heart...

The Fattal Hotel chain and El Al Israel Airlines have begun implementing a new agreement according to which tourists purchasing a ticket on El Al are granted a $100 discount on a Fattal Hotels holiday package, while guests at the hotels in the chain are eligible for a $100 discount...

After being totally renovated a few years ago (see EMTT #270) and after beginning to developing its business tourism market (see EMTT #283), the Grand Beach Hotel, Tel Aviv has finished upgrading 50 of its 212 rooms, transforming them into “premium” rooms with an eye to the

About NIS 30 million (close to $7.5 million) have been earmarked for investment in expanding the complement of rooms and facilities at the Hagoshrim Hotel, situated in the Upper Galilee on Kibbutz Hagoshrim. As part of this project, 48 new rooms will be constructed, defined by a spokesperson for...

The Crowne Plaza City Center Tel Aviv has started a shuttle service by its trademark New York City yellow cab, from the hotel to Tel Aviv’s beach, reports Jacob Sudri, general manager of Africa Israel Hotels, which...

The Herods Complex, Eilat has launched a new members club named Herods Club, where members are eligible for discounts and benefits during each stay at any Herods hotel. In addition, members will be notified before the public at large, of any new benefits or specials at Herods. They will...

Four hotels in Israel that until now were branded as Sheraton properties - the Sheraton Moriah Tel Aviv, Sheraton Jerusalem Plaza, Sheraton Tiberias and the Sheraton Eilat - have become part of Israel’s Azorim chain and no longer bear the Sheraton name. According to reports...

ILH, Israel’s chain of independent hostels, has launched its hostels guide in English for 2009. Along with a roster of the organization’s more than 40 hostels and information on them, the guide includes detailed informational maps on Israel, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv city maps, recommended...

As part of its recent renovations and upgrading activities, (see EMTT #302), the Ramada Jerusalem has opened a new Internet room with six pc’s for the use of guests in its Royal wing. In addition, the rooms on floors 11 and 12 of the wing have been totally renovated and a business center has been opened on the 12th floor.

Located in East Jerusalem, close to Damascus Gate and the Garden Tomb, the 16-room Jerusalem Hotel opened in 1950 as a guesthouse. “It was partially destroyed in 1967, seven years after my father bought it, but was then rebuilt,” observes hotel owner Raed Saadeh. “In 1980 it was upgraded...

“Ever since visa requirements were abolished for Russian tourists visiting Israel, the number of Russians visiting Israel - and also staying at our hotel - has increased,” says the Dan Tel Aviv’s newly appointed General Manager Etay Eliaz, “and we have been hosting...

This past April, renovations were completed in the lobby of the Dan Accadia, Herzliya, reports the hotel’s Rooms Division Manager Ben Yanover. The lobby lounge restaurant was widened and also outfitted with new parquet flooring, furnishings, Wi-fi connectivity, a more...

After undergoing wide-ranging renovations at a cost of “millions of shekels,” a spokesperson of the property says, the Efrat Hotel, located in the Gush Etzion bloc of settlements, reopened recently. As part of the refurbishing project, nine new rooms and one new elevator were...

About three years ago, Dror Nevo and his wife purchased a large house in Kfar Tabor, a settlement in the Lower Galilee region, and decided to transform the property into a biking hotel, which they named the Hoo Ha Cyclists House. “I was 30 years old at the time and working as the...

Vardit Kaplan has been appointed to the position of manager, incoming tourism for Ophir Tours. Kaplan, who holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Business Administration and a Masters degree in Business...

The Israel Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Transport have drafted a proposal for new aviation regulations. It is to be presented to the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) and if approved will replace the existing 1927 aviation regulations adapted during the period...

Aeroflot, Russia’s second largest airline, has begun to offer a regularly-scheduled weekly flight between Moscow and Eilat, departing from Moscow on Sundays on Airbus 319 craft and arriving at Ouvda (Eilat) at 4 pm local time. The return flight is also on Sunday, reaching...

In preparation for its operating regularly-scheduled flights in the near future within the framework of Israel’s “Open Skies” policy, Israir Airlines has begun to market its flights via various Global Distribution systems. As a result, Israir is starting to offer electronic ticketing. It is also looking into...

British Airways has announced the cancellation of its new weekly flight on the London-Tel Aviv route, which was to have departed from Heathrow Terminal 5 on Thursday afternoons, returning the next day to London from Tel Aviv (see EMTT #306). According to British Airways...

Representatives of the Israel Ministry of Transport & Road Safety and its counterpart in Brazil have signed an aviation agreement. According to the terms of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, each may operate up to 10 regular flights between Israel and Brazil. Of these, seven...

According to a spokesperson from Aerolineas Argentinas, as a result of the inauguration of El Al’s new non-stop flights between Brazil and Israel and in the interest of El Al’s expanding its roster of destinations in South America, President & CEO Haim Romano and a number of his airlines’ senior...

According to Tewolde Gebremariam, coo for Ethiopian Airlines, who visited Israel recently as part of an Ethiopian tourism delegation, the airlines is making tentative plans to operate daily flights on its Addis Ababa-Tel Aviv route, which it would implement if Ben Gurion Airport were to allow it to...

Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport ranked first in the 2008 satisfaction survey of Middle East airports carried out by the International Airport Council's (ACI) for “Airport Service Quality.” The airport ranked second in world rankings of airports with an annual volume of 5-15 million passengers...

Israel charter operator Holiday Lines has announced its intention to operate flights this summer between Israel and five cities in Germany. In addition to service to and from Baden, Berlin and Munich, the company will also introduce flights between Tel Aviv and two new destinations: Weeze...

After an interval of several months Corsairfly, TUI’s French airline, decided to renew flights between Paris and Tel Aviv for the upcoming summer season, based on departures from Orly International Airport, and late in May it began operating two weekly flights on the route. Corsairfly flights...

A new wing was inaugurated late last year at Beth Hatefutsoth, the Nahum Goldmann Museum of the Jewish Diaspora, located on the campus of Tel Aviv University, reports Yael Kurlander, marketing director for the museum. “This is the first stage of an overall program...

A new archeological garden opened recently in the compound of Israel’s Knesset (Parliament). Named “Peace be within Thy Palaces - Jerusalem Antiquities at the Israel Knesset,” it has been designed to serve as a refuge for the activities of the Knesset, but it is also open, free of...

For tourists visiting Israel from countries that were part of the former Soviet Union, Mano Cruises Ltd. has begun a program to promote cruises from Israel, a spokesperson for the company says: “These people usually come for stays lasting between seven and ten days, and while some...

After a 10-year absence, Costa Cruises is returning to Israel and the Costa Marina is scheduled to dock in the Port of Haifa sometime soon, as part of a cruise departing from Savona (Italy) and carrying...

Right before Christmas this year 5000 Franciscan churches in Poland will receive calendars for 2010 that include pictures of 12 sites in Israel, most of which are pilgrimage sites, reports Israel Ministry of Tourism Director, Central & Southern Europe Department and Director, Hosting Operations Department ...

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI traveled to Israel on a pilgrimage journey as part of a trip that began in Jordan and also included a visit to Bethlehem in the Palestinian Authority. About 300 journalists from around the world covered the pope's visit to the region. The Yad Vashem Memorial to the Holocaust, the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Room of the Last Supper and the Church...

After being closed for a number of months for upgrading and renovations (see EMTT #302), the Executive Lounge compound at the Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel & Towers reopened recently. Reconfigured totally, the lounge features newly tiled floors...

Only one year after it opened, the Dan Boutique Jerusalem has been selected for membership in “Tablet Hotels,” reports Rafi Baeri, vice president, marketing for the Dan Hotels Corporation. According to the Tablet Hotels website: “We wade through tens of thousands of hotels and we bring...

On 10 June 2009 the Basel Hotel Tel Aviv will become a member of the Fattal Hotel Chain. Until October, when renovations on all the rooms are completed, the property will continue to operate as the Basel Hotel. Then it will be rebranded as the Leonardo Basel, one of a number ...

The Rimonim and the Tamares chains of hotels have joined together to offer three packages this year that target the incoming tourism market, each addressing the needs of a different market segment: a bar mitzvah package based on Tamares’ Daniel Herzliya and either the Rimonim...

The Carlton Hotel Tel Aviv, The David Citadel in Jerusalem and three Isrotel properties - the Isrotel Royal Beach Eilat, the Carmel Forest Spa Resort in the Carmel Forest outside Haifa and the Isrotel Dead Sea Resort & Spa - have joined together to offer a “Choose to Have it All” package,” reports...

Valid on stays between 4 May and 3 July 2009, when registered members of the Priority Club of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) book any two nights - and not consecutive necessarily - in any hotel in the group, they will be entitled to enjoy one free night at any hotel in the chains...

“With the exception of the construction of our Sequoia Hall, very little happened here until a new general manager took over about two years ago. Then, we decided that we needed to renovate and upgrade our rooms,” relates Mali Lichi, marketing & sales director for the Ma’ale Hachamisha...

The Israeli Cabinet has appointed Noaz Bar-Nir to the position of director general of the Ministry of Tourism, effective as of 1 June 2009. In the past, he served in the Ministry of Finance as coordinator of the ministry team dealing with health. Bar-Nir comes to his new position after...

With Israel’s annual budget for 2009 having been approved by the Israel cabinet just as we are going to press and with votes in the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) on the bill scheduled to take place shortly, the issue of imposing VAT on incoming tourism services beginning in 2010, an idea raised...

Eli Maor has been appointed general manager of the Mamilla Hotel, Jerusalem, scheduled to open soon (see EMTT #305). He moves to Jerusalem after serving as general manager of the Sheraton Eilat, a position he took up a number of years ago after having worked earlier in his career...

Israel tour operator Diesenhaus Unitours has launched a new tourism portal for use by both agents and the public at large. The portal, in keeping with the “travel 02” concept upon which it is based, combines both sales and information, including a section for recommendations and other...

As first mentioned in EMTT #305, a grand production of Guiseppe Verdi’s opera Nabucco, which tells the story of the destruction of Solomon’s Temple by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (605-562 BC), and of the Israelites in Babylonian exile, has been scheduled for June 2010 at Masada, the UNESCO...

Israel tour operator Eshet Incoming has been designated exclusive tour operator for the incoming market, for the Nabucco events (see above). “The way it looks now, Nabucco will be the major summer event for 2010,” says Eshet Incoming Managing Director Amnon Ben-David. “Therefore, the...

A total of 11,550,424 passengers on 94,646 international and domestic flights passed through Ben Gurion International Airport in 2008, reports Ben Gurion Managing Director Zeev Sarig. International passenger traffic totaled 11,071,588 last year - an increase of 9.6 percent compared...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Israel welcomed 152,000 foreign visitors in February 2009. This was 24 percent lower than the figure for the previous February. Of the total, 139,000 were registered as tourists while 13,000 were classified as day visitors.

A new virtual tour of Israel has been added to the website of the Israel Ministry of Tourism. The new material (at www.goisrael/vt) is comprised of 100 videos, 130 panoramic photos and dozens of other photographs, enabling surfers to enjoy a virtual tour of the country on...

Starting July 1, 2009, Delta Airlines will operate a second non-stop flight between JFK, New York and Ben Gurion International Airport, flying four times a week on the route. The new flights will be on Boeing 767-300ER craft with 215 seats, 34 of which will be in Business Class. In total, the airline will be operating 18 non-stop flights this summer between New York and Tel Aviv.

U.K. airline BMI has doubled its service between London Heathrow and Tel Aviv from one to two daily flights. Though all flights are now on Airbus A321 craft, BMI will switch over to A330 craft on the route early in May. From then, it will provide three classes of service: business; premium economy, and economy. Business...

Taking Advantage of Tourism, an Israeli Natural Resource Israel is blessed with an amazing natural resource, which until now has hardly been noticed, and it can be used as a catalyst...

At a cost of about $2 million, the project by the Carlton Hotel Tel Aviv to reconfigure and upgrade its lobby and move its main entrance to the northern side of the hotel (see EMTT #291 & #302) has drawn to a close, reports Director of Marketing & Sales Michal Galili. Inside the lobby, the reception...

Complementing the services and facilities of the Manta Dive Center, which is located on its premises, the Isrotel Yam Suf Hotel, Eilat has adapted 170 of its rooms so that they reflect the underwater diving ambience of the hotel. Each of these rooms now features underwater photographs...

The Colony Hotel, a new boutique property housed in an original Templar building situated on Ben Gurion Avenue in Haifa’s German Colony, which served as the (former) Appinger Hotel for many years in the past, opened recently, reports Avi Agajany, general manager of the management ...

The two newest properties of the Atlas Hotel Chain, the Sadot Hotel, about 12 minutes from Ben Gurion International Airport, and the Arts +in Tel Aviv (see EMTT #302), have now opened.

Stas Misezhnikov, a member of the Yisrael Beitenu (“Israel our Home”) party, a member of the coalition government headed by newly-elected Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been selected to serve as Israel’s new Minister of Tourism. Misezhnikov served in the previous government...

In preparation for the arrival in Israel on May 11, of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to Israel (see EMTT #305), Israel’s new government has appointed Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov to head an inter-ministerial committee delegated with the responsibility of making preparations...

A new attraction has been introduced in Jerusalem at the facility where the “Time Elevator,” a simulator ride through 3000 years of history in Jerusalem, has been showing for more than 10 years, reports Aharon Bernshtein, general manager of the Time Elevator. Known as “Aerial Odyssey,” it is a 40-minute...

After a false start in 1998, the Hamei Gaash Hot Springs opened two years later on 4.5 acres of land on Kibbutz Gaash, located adjacent to the Mediterranean Coast between Herzliya and Netanya. “The story began in the 1990s, when exploration for oil was carried out on the kibbutz,” relates Hamei Gaash...

In cooperation with the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa and the Israeli Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Association, the Association for Tourism Tel Aviv-Jaffa will be promoting the city this year for the first time, as a destination for gay tourism. Based on this new initiative, a number of cooperative...

The International Center for Tzfat Kabbalah, located in Safed, has developed two products for both groups and FITs, based on the kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). One is a half-day program called “A Kabbalah Tour of Tzfat.” It features stories of kabbalists, artists and ancient Safed. The second, known...

The seventh International Meeting of the Global Passenger Network (GPN) - a gathering that is held at a different member destination every six months - took place in Israel for the first time late this past March at the Kfar Maccabiah Hotel, Ramat Gan. It was hosted by Maya Tours, the only member...

The Red Sea, Dead Sea and Ein Gedi are three of the 261 qualified national and multinational nominees that have reached the second phase of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” competition (www.new7w.com), in which...

Israel's first museum dedicated to comics and cartoons - one of only 12 such museums in the world, a spokesperson for the facility says - opened in the city of Holon (close by Tel Aviv) late last year. The 430-m² facility features three permanent exhibitions: one on the work of six pioneers of Israeli...

The Israel Airport Authority has invested about NIS 150,000 in a new biometric system at the Taba/Eilat crossing point, enabling people already registered for the biometric system at Ben Gurion International Airport to use their swipe cards when exiting and entering Israel at Eilat, thus streamlining...

IMTM 2009, the 15th International Mediterranean Tourism Market, took place on Wednesday and Thursday, February 11-12, 2009, at the Israel Trade Fairs & Exhibition Center, Tel Aviv. “There can be no doubt that with each passing year, IMTM is solidifying its status as the central framework ...

According to many reliable sources, Pope Benedict XVI will be visiting Israel this coming May as part of a trip that will also include Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. The dates of the trip are May 8-15, beginning in Amman, Jordan and traveling from there to Jerusalem, the Galilee...

As part of the opening ceremonies for this year’s fair, Eyal Shmueli presented the annual IMTM tourism achievement award - named in memory of Ortra founder Zvi Gelfand and Israel Travel News Ltd. founder Amos Kinamon, the initiators of IMTM - to tourism veteran Eliezer Hod, Ministry of Tourism...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, Israel welcomed 130,000 foreign visitors in January 2009, which was 30 percent lower than the figure for the previous January, but 12 percent higher than that...

Based on a budget of NIS 26 million, the Israel Ministry of Tourism launched its first set of promotional campaigns early in February in targeted areas in Europe, North America and elsewhere. The messages of the campaigns were designed to reinforce the image of Israel as being a safe...

The Investments Committee of the Israel Ministry of Tourism has approved grants totaling NIS 111 million (about $27 million) for 10 tourism projects in the Negev region and in northern Israel. Total investment for these 10 is NIS 570 million. The committee has recommended granting funds...

Situated minutes from the Old City’s Jaffa Gate and the Tower of David, the Mamilla Hotel Jerusalem, sister property and across-the-street neighbor of The David Citadel and the first luxury hotel in the city to be built since The David Citadel was inaugurated about 10 years ago, is scheduled...

“Even though we’ve greatly expanded our efforts into the incoming market in recent years and for 2008 alone our income from incoming grew by 70 percent and we registered 58 percent more incoming overnights than in 2007, many people in the trade still see us as a hotel chain focusing...

Late in 1997, the 60-room hotel in Tiberias known as the Mitzpe Kinnereth was bought by new owners, renovated rebranded as the Royal Plaza Tiberias, and a new 100-room wing was added, as well as public areas. Two years later the hotel’s swimming pool area was inaugurated, complete...

As mentioned in EMTT #302, the 124 rooms (including eight suites) located on the top four floors of the Dan Panorama Tel Aviv, those on floors 15-18, known as the “Carmel” floors, including the hotel’s Presidential Suite, the executive lounge and the dedicated reception area to...

“After the purchase by the Tamares chain of the former Golden Tulip Privilege, the rebranding of the property in 2007 as the Daniel Dead Sea, and the renovations that were carried out in the hotel (see EMTT #288), there were still a number of improvements that were left pending,” says hotel...

At a cost of about NIS 2 million, renovations have been completed on the Marina Club Hotel, Eilat, which became a part of the Rimonim chain in 2008. New flooring, carpeting and LCD tv sets were installed in all 132 suites in the hotel, while furniture was reupholstered. Other improvements...

After being sold, renovated and rebranded as the Montifiore Hotel in the summer of 2003, the 48-room property in central Jerusalem that earlier had been known as the Hanagid Hotel, was leased to new management for six years - with an option for an extension. “We took over the property on...

The Villa Carmel, a new 16-room property located in Haifa’s Carmel district, opened early this year. Built originally as a luxurious hotel in the 1940s “and restored and updated with contemporary design and every modern convenience,” General Manager Moran Peleg says, the hotel..

Featuring 98 suites divided into three categories - deluxe and standard (sleeping up to six pax) of various configurations, along with six penthouses, the Lev Yerushalaim Hotel, located in the center of Jerusalem, is in the process of completed a program of renovations, reports hotel General...

According to statistics released by the Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association (IITOA), approximately 900,000 incoming tourists visited Israel in 2008 within the framework of groups, and this represented about 70 percent of the total foreign bed-night registered in the country’s hotels. The number...

Late this past January, Pastor James Ridgway, founder, executive director and president of Christian travel company Educational Opportunities, was honored at a reception and dinner at the Olive Tree Hotel Jerusalem that marked the 35th anniversary of the...

Two Israeli tour operators, IGT and Gordon Tours, have signed a strategic agreement for the creation of a joint Internet site for agents, for them to use in booking Israel for their clients. Plans call for the new B to B product to be launched at ITB, Berlin, where representatives of the two...

“I’ve been fighting for this for a long time,” says Kurt Kaufman, director of Genesis Tours, in relating to El Al’s decision to launch direct service between Tel Aviv and Sao Paulo Brazil this coming May. “We operated Arkia flights on this route in 2004, but as a private company it wasn’t so easy...

“Not only was 2008 a record year for incoming tourism to Israel, it was a record year for us too,” remarks Samuel Smadja, general manager of Sar-El Tours, an Israeli tour operator specializing in the pilgrimage market. “We deal with pilgrimage only, primarily from the U.S., Germany, Austria, Switzerland...

“All through his campaign, newly-elected Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat emphasized the importance of tourism,” stresses fellow party member Yehiel (Hilik) Bar, newly elected Jerusalem City Council representative and holder of the municipality tourism & foreign...

Having taken up her new position as president of the Jerusalem Hotel Association, Ariela Shmida-Doron, owner of the Jerusalem Gold Hotel, sees the hotel industry as a tool for increasing employment in the city, and she is pleased that this is a view shared by newly elected Jerusalem Mayor...

In 2008, approximately 415,000 people visited the sites in East Jerusalem that are managed the East Jerusalem Development Corporation (EJDC). This represents an increase of 14 percent over the number of tourists visiting them in 2007. Of these, about 263,000 (an increase of 12 percent) toured...

The first International JOSP Fest (“Journey of the Spirit”), organized by Vatican tour operator Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, was held in mid January at the new Rome Fairgrounds. A number of tourism companies and associations from Israel were present, including the Israel Ministry of Tourism, El Al Israel...

For the 14th time, the Galilee region of Israel will be holding its “Go Galilee” tourism marketing event. It is scheduled to take place on May 7-11 this year. Go Galilee is being organized by Israel’s Galilee Development Authority (including all the tourism boards and associations in the region), the Israel Ministry...

“Our fleet numbers about 70,000 vehicles, mostly for commercial leasing, though approximately 13,000 are for rental, either long term or for tourists and others,” says Boaz Yacobi, international marketing manager for the Shlomo Sixt car rental company. “We operate 27 branches all...

“With all of the city’s many advantages, it’s not an easy job to move Eilat forward and to promote it as a viable tourism destination,” remarks Seffi Hanegbi, who has been serving this past half year as ceo of the Red Sea Eilat Tourism Administration. “Eilat is caught in a ‘pincer movement’ between...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, Israel welcomed an all-time record of 3,031,100 foreign visitors in 2008, which was 32 percent higher than the figure for 2007 and 13 percent higher than the previous highest...

As mentioned in EMTT #303, the Tel Aviv Hotel Association, in cooperation with the Association for Tourism Tel Aviv-Jaffa and El Al Israel Airlines, will be repeating its “Tel Aviv City Break” offering, first introduced for IMTM 2008, for this year’s fair. “We have expanded the program with...

As part of the renovations activities it has been carrying out at the northern entrance to Jaffa to reconstruct the urban texture of 19th-century life in Jaffa, the Tel Aviv’s Jaffa Governance is in the process of supervising renovations to the Ottoman Turkish Soraya Building, which was...

In mid 2007, when the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Jaffa took over the 25 acres that constitute Jaffa Port and the Jaffa Marina, the Jaffa Port Administration, a municipal corporation, was charged with responsibility for maintenance of both the marina and the land area. It has also been...

Details and budget have been finalized for the redevelopment of the planetarium at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, “the only one in Israel,” says its Director General Ilan Cohen, and plans call for the current facility to close down for two to three months this coming April or May...

Based on similar programs that have been operating in a number of major Western cities such as New York, London, Rome and Berlin, Natalie Grofman has initiated a number of “Run the City!” concept sightjogging options for Tel Aviv, combining jogging and tourism, and she is now...

According to an announcement by the Israel Ministry of Transport, Israel and Germany have reached an agreement to add new designated carriers on routes between the two countries. Based on the terms of the agreement, each may name two additional airlines as designated carriers to...

While due to the ramifications of the current worldwide economic slowdown and the credit crunch, a project fell through early this year for the erection of a new hotel by the Dead Sea by investors from Russia, the lot in question is still available for construction, as are a number of others, in the area...

El Al is marketing a variety of special promotional offers available to members of its “Matmid” frequent flyer club in the U.S. Matmid Club members traveling from the U.S. to Israel through March 31, 2009 can fly from New York (JFK/Newark) at a reduced...

A fam trips of nearly 100 agents organized by Russian wholesaler Russian Express and its operator in Israel Ophir Tours visited Eilat, the Dead Sea and Tel Aviv in mid January, with the Tel Aviv leg of the trip co-sponsored by the Tel Aviv Hotel Association. EMTT met the group...

The annual conference of the Israel Hotel Association was held at the Tel Aviv Hilton late in December, and along with procedural matters, the focus of the day-long assembly was on the world economic crisis and its affect on tourism. Guest speakers from abroad were Prof. Geoffrey Lipman, special...

With three charter series flying from Poland to Eilat this winter season and with departures to Israel from Poland taking off from more cities than ever before - ??d? and Katovice, along with Warsaw and Cracow - Yehuda Shen, director of the Central & Southern Europe Department for the...

The Crowne Plaza Jerusalem is in the midst of a comprehensive program of renovations, and to date the rooms and suites on five of its floors - 120 out of a complement of 397 - have been completed. “Nearly all the rooms of the hotel are in line for renovations, except for those on the three...

El Al Israel Airlines has announced its intention to begin regularly scheduled flights this coming spring between Tel Aviv and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Estimated flight time will be about 14.5 hours, a spokesperson for the El Al says. The airline is currently drawing up a program regarding the details of this...

More countries than ever before will be exhibiting at the International Mediterranean Tourism Market, scheduled to take place for the 15th time this coming February 11th and 12th at the Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center, Tel Aviv, and a number of countries - Brazil, Latvia, Montenegro and Panama - have...

Further to its decision to inaugurate flights between Moscow and Tel Aviv and after a examining a number of options in a process that took several weeks, the Israir Group has selected local tour operator SRG Holdings to be its representative in Russia. SRG also serves as Russian representative...

“As a matter of policy, we keep on investing in improving our product, since it’s important to keep our ‘edge’ and to give guests the sort of benefits they only expect in five-star properties,” explains Rafi Farber, owner’s representative of Jerusalem’s Olive Tree Hotel. “That’s the philosophy underlying...

Last November, 851,558 passengers on 8050 international and domestic flights passed through Ben Gurion International Airport, reports Ben Gurion Director Zeev Sarig. International traffic that month...

This past March, renovations were completed in the East House of Jerusalem’s American Colony Hotel, a member of Leading Small Hotels of the World, as all 15 rooms in the building were refurbished, along with its public areas. “It was a total refurbishment,” explains the hotel’s General Manager...

In the 2008 “Readers’ Choice Awards” competition sponsored by SpaFinder.com and by SpaFinder magazine, Isrotel’s Carmel Forest Spa resort was honored with a “Country” award for being the top spa in the Middle East. Voting were about 250,000 readers of the magazine and the website.

Beating out dozens of renowned luxury-class facilities in the region including the Four Seasons properties in Qatar and Amman, the Ritz Carlton Bahrain, Park Hyatt, Dubai and luxury properties in Israel, The David Citadel Hotel has been chosen as the Middle East’s premier hotel by readers of the...

By Rafi Shalev Director of Tourism, Israel Government Tourist Office, UK & Ireland “2007-2008 has seen Israel’s tourism numbers growing. In Israel’s 60th year, the U.K. provided a 29 percent increase in visitors. The usual...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, more than 260,000 tourists entered Israel this past September, up 44 percent in comparison with the figure for September 2007 and 58 percent compared with the number of entries...

The government of Israel has allocated NIS 20 million (about $5.4 million) over the next two years to promote bicycle riding in Israel, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism says. Based on an interim report published by an inter-ministerial committee headed by...

Leading up to 2009, when the David InterContinental Tel Aviv celebrates the 10th anniversary of its opening, the hotel has been working this year on a wide-ranging refurbishing program, reports General Manager David Cohen: “This past July we finished renovating 240 of our ‘deluxe’ rooms...

Presided over by Chef Oren Yerushalmi, who returned to Israel earlier in the year after working in New York City in the kitchens of restaurants such as Bouley and WD-50, Scala, the David Citadel’s new gourmet chef’s restaurant, opened recently on the restaurants level of the hotel, in space occupied...

Shalom Kadosh, executive chef of the Sheraton Jerusalem Plaza, has developed a new menu for the hotel’s Primavera a la carte Italian fish and dairy restaurant, based, he remarks, on the trend for lighter foods and more salads. As part of this approach, many new dishes have found their way...

“During 2008 too, we continued the policy we have developed, of investing large sums each year in the renovation and upgrading of our properties,” says Dan Hotels Corporation Vice President, Marketing Rafi Baeri. One example of what has been done this year can be seen at the Dan Accadia Herzliya, where...

After the opened of the Cielo Spa, a new 450 m² outsourced facility located on the lower level of the Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel & Towers (see EMTT #296), the hotel has begun work to transform its old treatments center and health club into a dedicated fitness center. “In 2006, our chain...

“It was the first all-suites hotel in Israel when it opened, about 18 years ago, one of 14 Best Western properties in Israel at the time and the only one that remains under that name,” says Israel Angel, general manager of the Best Western Regency Suites, Tel Aviv, the man who brought the Best Western...

“After a period of 10 years, our contract with the Marriott Corporation ended this past June, and for financial reasons primarily, we decided not to renew it, but instead, to enter into a franchise agreement with Ramada, ” states Rico Rosenthal, general manager of the hotel known now as the Ramada...

Renovations have begun at the Prima Tiberias, reports Miri Falk, the owner’s representative for Prima Hotels. All the rooms will be completely renovated and the d?cor will focus on natural hues; some of the bathrooms will feature bathtubs, in others, showers are to be installed. All the hotel’s systems...

As referred to in EMTT #297, the Atlas Hotel Chain has signed an agreement to manage the Sadot Hotel, located adjacent to the Assaf Harofe Medical Center, about 15 km southeast of Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion International Airport. Scheduled to open in December, Sadot will serve both...

The Isrotel chain has been marketing a series of special packages for dive courses at the Manta Dive Center, Eilat, combined with accommodations at the Isrotel Yam Suf Hotel in Eilat, valid from November 15, 2008 to April 7, 2009. The first package, a PADI open water divers...

The Kibbutz Hotel Chain (KHC) has introduced a series of half-day desert jeep tours, reports David Duvdevani, who is in charge of its marketing and sales. The tours, he explains, can be integrated into any existing itinerary and are available to all guests of the chain. The cost of accommodation is based...

Neve Ativ, a resort village consisting of wooden chalets, situated on Mt. Hermon on the Golan Heights and managed by the Rimonim Hotel Chain, is becoming a bicycle-friendly property, a spokesperson for Rimonim reports. In addition to its ski packages and winter nature tours, the property has...

“Our philosophy of minimizing risks by focusing on a basket of tourism options - both horizontal and vertical - these past seven years, developing both new markets and a variety of market segments while increasing tourism to Israel, continues to prove itself,” remarks Rafi Shelef, managing director...

The Carlton Tel Aviv has completed renovations of rooms and corridors on the last two floors that had not yet been done until now, reports its Director of Marketing & Sales Michal Galili. “This completes a process that began about two years ago. By this past August, when very high occupancy rates forced...

Lomamatkat, a Finnish tour operator that stopped working with Eilat eight years ago, has resumed marketing the destination and is operating a series of flights once a week, scheduled to run through the end of April 2009, reports Zeev Anolik, manager for incoming tourism for Ophir Tours, the tour operator...

For much of his adult life, Yoav Gal would be approached by friends with requests that he build special tour itineraries for them in Israel. About two years ago, he decided to convert his hobby and specialty into a profession and he founded “Israel My Way” - an idea he had carried around in his...

“We’ve formulated a two-pronged strategic development program, that will enable us to expand our facilities,” says Mira Altman, general manager of the ICC Jerusalem International Convention Center (Binyanei Ha’Ooma). “It is based on two components, defining our needs and developing commercial...

“We operate in three separate directions,” explains Reuven Nikolayevski, general manager of Rent-a-Guide. “We own private cars, more than 30 - mostly Mercedes, Cadillacs, Chevys and Fords - which we use for driver guide tours for between one and 17 tourists, and we’ve just bolstered our fleet with the introduction...

Having recently taken over as general manager of the Joe Alon Center, the world’s largest museum for the study of Bedouin culture, locate north of Beersheba, Israel tourism veteran Yuval Shahaf has already introduced three new programs designed to complement the hundreds of objects and artifacts...

“When I told tour operators that I’d be returning to manage our facility at the beginning of January, they were very pleased,” says Ariel Ullmann, owner of the Negev Camel Ranch at the ancient Nabatean city of Mamshit, just outside of Dimona. “Many of them had stopped marketing...

“Almost two years ago at an airport, I saw some ads for photography holidays in the pages of a magazine, and the idea turned me on,” says Mike Jacobs, founder of Dimui, which specializes in photo tours in Israel. “I started doing some research and realized that despite the tremendous potential in...

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has selected the Bahai Gardens in Haifa and the Bah?’? shrine in Acre as official World Heritage Sites. Last year, 600,000 people visited the Bahai Gardens, and according to statistics collected by the Haifa Tourist Board, 43 percent of the tourists visiting the...

Rodney Hirsch, a professional landscape architect with a love for the desert, is in the process of constructing Makhman Dunes Desert Lodge, a small ecological guesthouse a few minutes from Spa in the Desert, on the local sand dunes. A central building has been completed, built of local mud, castaway...

For tourists staying in Tel Aviv, Israir Airlines is marketing a day trip to the Jordanian Rose Red Nabatean city of Petra, with morning departures via Eilat from Dov Airfield, Tel Aviv (and return). The package includes travel from Eilat Airport to the Yitzhak Rabin...

Oren Altman has taken over as general manager of the Fattal Hotel Chain’s Le M?ridien Dead Sea. He has managed a number of other hotels in the Dead Sea region - the (former) Golden Tulip Dead Sea, the Crowne Plaza Dead Sea and the Magic Nirvana Club and Tulip Inn, the latter two being Fattal...

Late in November the second stage of the codesharing agreement between El Al and American Airlines began (see EMTT #292) Under the terms of the agreement, passengers booking flights on American from a number of North American cities such as Orlando, Las Vegas, Seattle, San Diego, San Jose...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, approximately 263,800 tourists entered Israel this past August, up 18 percent in comparison with the figure for August 2007 and nearly 216 percent compared with the number of entries for...

At a reception sponsored by the Israel Hotel Association held at the Tel Aviv Hilton late in September, in cooperation with the Council for a Beautiful Israel, where three hotels - Dan Gardens Ashkelon, the Isrotel Tower Tel Aviv and Isrotel’s Agamim Hotel - were awarded citations...

As part of its ongoing efforts to offer improved service to tourists from abroad, the Ministry of Tourism has launched a new “Tourphone” service, with 24/7 telephone information, directions and assistance. Using the new ministry “hotline” number (*3888 from any...

After a lapse of 10 years, Korean Air, which previously flew between Seoul and Tel Aviv between November 1995 and February 1998 but suspended the service in the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, has renewed flights this September, operating between Inchon International Airport (Seoul) and...

The Top Ten Issues By Roni Pivko, member of the baard of directors of the Israel Hotel Association (Translated & edited from an article appearing in the August 2008 edition of “Melonaim,” the Hebrew-language...

Between March 12th, when the line was inaugurated, and September 30th this year, approximately 80,000 passengers flew on the new Delta Airlines route between New York and Tel Aviv, reports Esty Herskowicz, Delta Airlines’ manager in Israel. “We are pleased with the continuing success of our service...

Arkia Israeli Airlines has decided to enlarge its fleet of craft by purchasing two 195-seat planes from Embraer, a Brazilian manufacturer. This is the first time an Israeli and Israeli commercial aviation company will be flying medium-range Embraer E-195 craft.

Within the framework of ongoing negotiations to revoke restrictive civil aviation policies between Israel and the 27 countries of the European Union, that would, in effect, result in a significantly larger number of flights between the two areas, Israel and the EU have signed a memorandum...

For El Al passengers flying to Israel from the United States between October 26, 2008 and March 31, 2009 (except during December 17-24, 2008) and for American Airlines passengers flying to Israel on El Al code sharing flights during those same dates, El Al Israel Airlines is offering reduced-fare...

A new hotel has been approved for Jerusalem. It will be located in the neighborhood of the plot of land on which the new offices of Israel’s Prime Minister are to be constructed, in a part of the government compound between the Supreme Court and the Knesset (Parliament building). The 200-room...

Last October, Lior Gabay took over as general manager of the 17-storey Park Plaza Orchid Tel Aviv - which only one month earlier had been rebranded after being purchased the previous March. Since then, he has been overseeing the hotel’s renovations efforts, which now are drawing...

Earlier this year the Daniel Herzliya Hotel inaugurated its two Presidential Suites, one on the ninth floor and one on the 12th floor of the hotel. Both suites are 110 m² in size, aside from the wooden wrap-around balcony in each that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea, and each features two...

In 2007, for the third year in a row, Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo was Israel’s most visited tourism attraction, a survey conducted by Dun & Bradstreet, Israel concludes. The zoo was visited by 693,115 people last year, both Israelis and tourists from abroad. Masada was in second place, followed by...

For visitors to Jerusalem that are interested in learning about the city’s Mamilla Quarter, the Alrov Mamilla Avenue - the new shopping and entertainment center adjacent to Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate - has teamed up with the Tower of David Museum, which is located just inside the Old City’s Jaffa...

Hertz Israel recently inaugurated two new branches in the country. One is in Tel Aviv, in the Ramat Hahayal business and hi-tech district of the city; the other is in Hadera. With the addition of these two facilities, the company now operates 24 branch offices throughout Israel.

After an eight-year hiatus, Neckermann Thomas Cook of Holland, Europe’s second largest tourism wholesaler, has resumed vacation package marketing to Israel for the October 2008-April 2009 period. Its five-day packages are based on flights to Taba, Sinai and entrance to Israel via the Taba-Eilat border crossing.

Early in the summer of 2006, right before the outbreak of the Second Lebanon War, “Shishi,” a professional chef who inaugurated the Muscat restaurant at the Seaview Hotel, Rosh Pina among other dining establishments, opened “Levona Grove,” a tourist attraction and special events...

A pilot program testing automatic regulation of entrance at tourism sites using radio frequency identification (RFID) chips began this past winter at the Mt. Hermon ski site. (The chip transmits its contents only when the item in which it is embedded is in close proximity to a special electronic device that...

“Bau House,” a small museum dedicated to the works of Joseph Bau, one of Israel’s earliest caricaturists, has been operating for a number of years on Berdichevski Street, off Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv, in the space Bau used as his studio during his lifetime. The museum...

Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the International Harp Contest, which has been staged in Israel every three years since 1959. The celebrations will open with a gala concert with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on October 6, 2009 at the Mann...

Israel Ministry of Tourism Director General Shaul Zemach has directed the heads of various departments in the ministry - and especially the Development & Investments Administration, the Marketing Administration and the Tourism Product Administration - to take into account ministry plans to...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, more than 260,000 tourists entered Israel this past July, up 22 percent in comparison with the figure for July 2007 and 75 percent compared with the number of entries for July 2006.

Israel’s Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Agriculture plan to invest NIS 10 million (close to $3 million) this year, as part of a multi-annual program to develop rustic tourism projects, establishing tourism and infrastructure support in various rural parts of the country that will promote the...

Having taken up her position as Israel’s new Minister of Tourism recently (see EMTT #299), Ruhama Avraham-Balila has sent a letter to her Jordanian counterparts in Jordan and in the Palestinian Authority, Maha al-Khatib and Dr. Khuloud Daibes respectively. Relating to the fact...

The Investments Committee of the Ministry of Tourism has recommended that five new hotels be constructed: in Nazareth; Ma’alot; Haifa, and on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Development of these properties will be based on government subsidies totaling NIS 45 million (close to $13.5 million) while...

Base on recent talks between Shaul Zemach, director general of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, and the head of the Ministry of Interior’s Population, Immigration & Border Authority, prior to September 20, when the need for visas by Russian tourists to Israel will no longer exist, agreement was reached, Minister...

US Airways has decided to offer year-round daily service between Philadelphia and Tel Aviv. The Tempe, Arizona-based carrier said that it has applied to start service in July 2009, subject to consent by Israeli officials. The U.S. Department of Transportation has already granted its...

With tourism to Israel from North America at an all-time high and with Israel’s Ministry of Tourism investing in marketing in the United States as never before - to traditional markets as well as to others where promise can be seen - EMTT Jerusalem correspondent Amnon Lipzin visited New York ...

In cooperation with the Israel Accessibility Center, Israir has decided to adapt the seats of the three new Airbus 320 craft it will be receiving in 2010 so that they meet the needs of physically challenged passengers in sitting down and in getting out of them. The toilets too will be redesigned for the comfort...

A few weeks ago, El Al Israel Airlines took possession of the first of five 737-800 craft it has ordered - three to be purchased and two to be leased - and as soon as it arrived at Ben Gurion Airport, the new plane took off on its maiden flight to Kiev. The three planes to be purchased are based...

Iberia has increased capacity on two of its 14 weekly flights between Madrid and Tel Aviv, and since early September, it has been flying Airbus A340 craft on these two frequencies, on Mondays and Saturdays. The changeover to...

Changes are on tap for Arad, Israel’s city in the desert situated in the area between Beersheba and the Dead Sea, designed to enhance its standing as a tourism city for both Israelis and visitors from elsewhere in the world. “The city’s commercial center is being renovated...

Farther west along the Arad-Beersheba Road at the turnoff to Daragat, a five-kilometer road leads to this village, where two cousins, Jabbar and Nasr Abu-Hamad have developed a tourism program based on “Hospitality in a Cave.” “Our forefathers came to this area from...

A new 10-room boutique hotel overlooking the desert opened not long ago in Arad, in the outskirts of the city, adjacent to the city promenade, in an area where land has been set aside by the Municipality for three other small properties, each 10 to 20 rooms in size. “Yehelim is the plural of the...

The Association for Tourism Tel Aviv-Jaffa has drawn up plans to develop a new Visitors Center in the city’s Sarona district, the area of the city that was inhabited in the 19th century by German Templar settlers that came to the Holy Land as part of their religious beliefs in the Second Coming, to serve...

This coming November, for the fourth year in a row, Eilat will host its annual international underwater photography competition. Sponsors of the event include the Israel Ministry of Tourism, the Eilat Hotel Association, the Isrotel Hotel Chain, the Israir Group, the Municipality of Eilat, the Eilat...

The annual conference of the Israel Hotel Association will take place this coming November, and one of the issues under discussion will be sustainable tourism and the “greening” of hotels. Among other aspects of this important issue, visitors to the annual gathering will be treated to a video prepared...

In the culmination of a process that began late in 2006 and has been ongoing, a meeting between German public health officials and dermatologists, and Israel Ministry of Tourism officials, health tourism experts and representatives of the Dead Sea’s health tourism industry was held at the...

Margaret Morse passed away on Saturday morning August 16, at the age of 95. She was born on March 3, 1913, and was predeceased by her husband Bernard Morse. Through her company Margaret Morse Tours, Margaret was...

During this past July and August more than 2.5 million travelers - an all-time record number - passed through Ben Gurion International Airport, relates Kobi Mor, general manager of the Israel Airports...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, 240,000 tourists entered Israel this past June, up 45 percent in comparison with the figure for June 2007 and 39 percent compared with the number of entries for June 2006.

Within the framework of efforts by the Israel Ministry of Tourism to improve the services it offers to tourists, maps of Israel, Christian pilgrimage attractions, the cities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Eilat, Tiberias and Netanya, all in English and showing the cities’ important tourism sites, can now...

A new report on service in Israel’s tourism industry has been prepared for the Israel Ministry of Tourism. Among its recommendations, to be implemented as a joint effort by the ministry in cooperation with local authorities and other groups: • Adopting uniform standards in certain areas and for...

Based on the belief that business travelers seek an alternative to the often solitary lodging experience and inspired by the strong sense of community created by the world’s greatest parks, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts has developed an environmental concept based on park-like lobbies, which have...

At an investment of NIS 200,000, Eilat’s Herods Complex has opened its upgraded “Princes Club” children’s club. Located on the swimming pool level at the Herods Palace and close by it, it also welcomes children staying at the Herods Forum. The refurbished facility, which features parquet flooring, has been...

“The original owners/developers of this property spent ten years planning it, visiting and learning about chateaus in France and in Italy and adapting the experience they had amassed to the hotel of their dreams, which somehow they got permission to build in the Biria Forest in the Upper Galilee, not far from...

According to figures released by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics and the Israel Ministry of Tourism, 300,000 tourists - the largest monthly number ever recorded - entered Israel this past May, up 60 percent in comparison with the figure for May 2007, up 57 percent compared with the number...

Sheraton Israel has allocated $5.5 million for renovations this year in the hotels that it manages, says Haim Outmezguine, area manager for Sheraton Israel & general manager of the Sheraton Moriah Tel Aviv, “from $500,000 to more than $1.5 million for each of our five. We’re investing in just about ...

At a cost of about NIS 80 million (about $23 million), the Crowne Plaza Tel Aviv City Center, Africa Israel Hotels’ new business hotel situated in the Azrieli Center on 13 floors of the center’s Square Tower, opened early in June. “We opened with four floors only,” says General Manager Shai Asia, “and then we added...

Based on an agreement between the Israel Ministry of Tourism and Oasis Tours, a tour operator based in Poland, weekly charter flights from Warsaw to Eilat (with return from Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel Aviv), are scheduled to begin in December 2008 and to continue until December the following year.

In its capacity as a hotel a management company, Excalibur Consultations took over the management of Netanya’s Blue Bay Hotel this past March. Renovations of all the 116 rooms in the central building of the hotel had been completed last year, after the hotel’s “Garden Suites,” constructed in the area where...

After a delay of a couple of months, the Dan Hotel Corporation opened the Dan Boutique this past April. In 2007 the chain had purchased the property known as the Ariel Hotel, Jerusalem, which it closed for renovations in October. Located opposite Mt. Zion and the Old City walls, the Dan Boutique was opened...

The “Cielo Spa,” located on the lower level of the Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel & Towers in space that until recently was used as a discotheque, is scheduled to open shortly. Among the partners in the new enterprise are Riki Opolsky, owner/manager of “Riki Spa” at the David InterContinental Hotel in Tel Aviv and...

Only a month ago (as reported in EMTT #295, p.16), the Israeli shekel was trading at a rate of slightly less than 3.5 to the dollar – as opposed to more than 4.7 to the dollar about 2.5 years ago. Since then it has continued to strengthen even more and now, as we are going to print, it has reached the level of 3.37, and no...

“Our incoming business from Istanbul to Tel Aviv is a varied mix,” Turkish Airlines Director, Israel Atag?n Kutluy?ksel observes. “Along with passengers from third countries that fly to Israel with us via Turkey, it is comprised of Muslims that visit Jerusalem and members of Turkey’s Jewish community of 22,000 that travel to Israel routinely, annually, for festivals, family visits...

“We need many more flights from Poland, something for which I have been clamoring for the past two years,” says Yehuda Shen, the Israel Ministry of Tourism’s director, Central & Southern Europe Department. “Tourism from Poland to Israel has been increasing at a very rapid pace these...

As reported in EMTT #291, three Eilat properties that are part of the Fattal Hotel Chain, were renovated these past three months. The Le M?ridien Eilat has been reopened as has the Golden Tulip Privilege Eilat, the property know previously as the Lev Hotel - and before that as the Paradise Club - and renovations...

“We see ourselves as a boutique hotel chain with unique properties and a loyal following, and our dream is to develop the company while maximizing service, maintaining the quality of our hotels, adding others both in Israel and abroad and, of course, improving our financial position,” states Reuven...

The Nalaga'at Center, a new cultural and entertainment compound situated in a renovated hangar at the Old Jaffa Port in an area itself undergoing renovation in preparation for Tel Aviv’s 2009 centenary year, opened late last year as the home for the Nalaga'at Theater Company, which features an ensemble...

After falling to a representative rate of more than 4.7 to the dollar in November 2005, the Israeli shekel has been accelerating its upward revaluation in recent months, dropping to below 3.50 shekels to the dollar earlier in the year, remaining above that level for a number of weeks, thanks, in part, to the intervention...

Improvements are being made at the Sharon Hotel Beach Resort, Herzliya, reports the hotel’s Director of Marketing & Sales Talia Yedid-Levy. On the outside events area adjacent to the lobby lounge, a wooden deck has been put down to replace the stone pavement and the pergola has been taken down, while in the lobby lounge itself the furniture has been changed. In addition, all the carpeting in the 170 rooms of the hotel and in its banquet halls has been replaced, LCD tv screens have been introduced in all the Sharon’s Bella Vista and Garden Rooms – about 40 in all – and a new hotel tv channel has started to operate, with information about the property complemented by films on Israel and the country’s attractions. Very soon, the infrastructure for wi-fi connectivity will be in place for the entire hotel.

Tel Aviv’s old Savoy Hotel, south of Allenby Street and close by the Mediterranean Sea, has been gutted and is being rebuilt as a 56-room hotel on nine floors - two more than existed in the old Savoy property. Twenty-four rooms, on three floors of the new hotel, which will bear the same name as that which...

Israel tour operator Nazarene Tours, headquartered in Nazareth, has signed a 15-year renewable lease on the rooms area of the East Jerusalem YMCA (located adjacent to the American Consulate and a short walk form the Garden Tomb and Damascus Gate), and after working for about a year to renovate...

The Gai Beach Hotel, situated in Tiberias on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, closed down for two months in the last week of December, for what hotel General Manager Ruti Oren terms a program of “significant renovations.” Carpeting was replaced throughout the entire hotel, while in the lobby...

The R2M Corporation, which has been managing restaurants in Tel Aviv for the past 14 years, is about to open its first hotel in the city, a property that is now in its final stages of development. Known as Hotel Montifiore, it is located on Montifiore Street in Tel Aviv, a part of Tel Aviv’s “White City” Bauhaus area and located in a building from 1921 that has been classified as a preserved building, which...

Tourism to Israel: “2014 – How We Messed up” Relating to the fact that tourism is one of the world’s leading economic industries, with an average rate of annual growth of between four and five...

This past February, Fokus Reisen from Norway, in cooperation with Arkia Israeli Airlines, organized a Saturday charter flight from Stavanger to Eilat. “It was only one of a number of flights we have scheduled this year between Norway and Tel Aviv,” company Director Rolf Sol?s reports. For Easter this year, two flights...

Renovations are in progress at a number of kibbutz hotels. At the Kfar Giladi Kibbutz Hotel in the Upper Galilee 70 of the property’s 180 rooms are being refurbished, including 40 old accommodation units that haven’t been touched for a very long time and 30 others that were last worked on eight...

During November 2007 a total of 749,687 passengers on 6447 international and domestic flights passed through Ben Gurion International Airport. International passenger traffic in November totaled 709,135 passengers, representing an increase of 24 percent compared to...

Presided over by Chef Oren Yerushalmi, who returned to Israel earlier in the year after working in New York City in the kitchens of restaurants such as Bouley and WD-50, Scala, the David Citadel’s new gourmet chef’s restaurant, opened recently on the restaurants level of the hotel, in space occupied...

Ron Yariv has been appointed general manager of the Crowne Plaza City Center, Tel Aviv. Yariv, who for many years worked with Hilton Israel and Hilton International, including stints as general manager...