2.4 million tourists came to Israel so far in 2018, ministry says
The ministry of tourism said in a statement that the number of tourists is 46 percent more than in 2016, almost double the number of tourists that entered during the same period that year.
By OREN OPPENHEIMUpdated: AUGUST 11, 2018 23:42 A view of Jerusalem's Old City walls near Jaffa Gate, with a tour bus in the center, August 9 2018(photo credit: OREN OPPENHEIM)
Israel’s Ministry of Tourism has announced that 2.4 million tourists have visited Israel since the beginning of 2018, a 17% increase in tourists for the same period in 2017.Citing findings from the Central Bureau of Statistics, the ministry said in a statement that the number of tourists is 46% more than during the same period in 2016.According to the ministry, 293,400 tourists entered Israel last month alone, which is around 8% more than in July 2017.Over 250,000 tourists came by air, the release said, an 8.8% increase compared to July 2017. 26,200 of them came via land crossings into Israel, a 3.1% increase compared to the year before. (Israel only has land border crossings with Egypt and Jordan.)“Month after month, we are witnessing new achievements and record highs in incoming tourism,” Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin (Likud) said in a statement. “I am pleased that, in the last month, we have also seen an impressive rise in incoming tourism... the tourism industry continues to be a significant factor in making exceptional impact and contributions to the Israeli economy and workforce.”Levin also praised the ministry’s marketing initiatives and “innovative activities… together with the incentives for airlines and investments in infrastructure,” for contributing to the rise in tourism.In July 2018, the statement said, tourism revenue in Israel came to about $436 million.
