Netanyahu, Levin celebrate record 4 million tourists
"We have achieved a tremendous achievement in tourism, over 4 million tourists a year," Netanyahu said. "This is a real revolution that puts Israel on the world Netanyahu map."
By YVETTE J. DEANEUpdated: JANUARY 28, 2019 07:28Netnayahu celebrates record 4 million tourists to Israel, January 27, 2019 (GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Tourism Minister and Ministerial Liaison to the Knesset Yariv Levin talked about their tremendous achievement in the tourism industry for 2018, as four million guests visited the country."We have achieved a tremendous achievement in tourism, over 4 million tourists a year," Netanyahu said. "This is a real revolution that puts Israel on the world map.""This increase resulted in an unprecedented NIS 22 billion in income for the Israeli economy," Levin said. "The tourism industry currently employs some 150,000 people in the north, south and center. This remarkable achievement is the result of a great revolution that we have done in marketing Israel, and creative cooperation with the world's leading tourism and aviation authorities."Levin thanked the Prime Minister, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Transport Minister Israel Katz for their support.The Tourism Ministry also invested significant funds to expand hotels throughout Israel. This year, NIS 145 million was allocated to help entrepreneurs build 3,829 new rooms, representing an annual growth of 49%.The ministry also invested NIS 350 million in marketing Israel as a tourism destination around the world, including in countries such as the US, Germany, Russia, Italy, England, China, Ukraine, Brazil and the Philippines. This investment yielded an average increase of 13% in the number of tourists from those countries.Direct revenues from tourism were NIS 24 billion.