Israel sees jump in tourism

Israel sees jump in tourismBerlin - More than 3 million people visited Israel last year, an increase of 32 per cent over 2007, according to Israeli Tourism Minister Ruhama Avraham-Balila. The number exceeded that of 2000.

Speaking at this month's ITB international travel trade show in Berlin, Avraham-Balila told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that the global economic crisis would likely impact tourism in 2009, however. Though the number of tourists visiting Israel had been expected to rise to 5 million by 2012, she said, that mark would probably not be reached until
2015.

Israel sought to attract groups in addition to the pilgrims that flocked to Christian holy sites and made up a large portion of the German tourists in Israel, she added.

"Much is developing in the way of bicycle tourism," Avraham-Balila noted. Work was underway on the Israel Trail, an uninterrupted bicycle path across the entire country. "Parts of it are already finished," she said.

The country also plans to expand the tourism industry in the Negev Desert. "Many Europeans still don't know much about it," the minister pointed out.

But many highlights await tourists this year in Israel. "We expect Tel Aviv's centennial celebrations to attract many visitors," Avraham-Balila said. She added that a planned visit to the Holy Land by Pope Benedict XVI would also attract many tourists.

It presented a once-in-a-lifetime chance to celebrate Mass with a German-born pope in Nazareth, childhood home of Jesus. (dpa)

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