(Hat Tip: Israel Times)
After suffering a brief slump during the Second Lebanon War, it looks as if Israel’s tourism has not only recovered, but many hotels are expecting a record year for 2007.
(Jerusalem Post) About 223,000 tourists entered the country last month, boosting the total by 9.1% to 1.46 million in the eight months through August, the Central Bureau of Statistics said Tuesday. Arrivals in August 2006 fell because of the Second Lebanon War, which broke out the month before. [...]
“It’s been the best-ever July and August,” said Rafi Baeri, vice president of marketing and sales at the Dan Hotels Corp. He said that the hotel chain, which owns the historic King David Hotel in Jerusalem and 12 other four- and five-star hotels around the country, is expecting a “record” year for 2007.
Even more tourists are expected in Israel next week as 6,000 Christians from over 90 countries will be participating in the upcoming Feast of Tabernacles (or Sukkot) in Jerusalem.
Israel’s tourism will probably pick up again around Christmas, although hopefully Bethlehem (currently in PA control) will be open to outsiders.
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