Video Of The Week - Israel - Small but Outstanding - http://tinyurl.com/y47q5mpo
The virulently
anti-Israel movement known as Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions – BDS – is
roiling through campuses, overflowing into city councils, encroaching into
corporate boardrooms, and now chomping at the essence of Israel’s special niche
in the world: its travel and tourism industry.
Whereas similar boycotts against other countries have inflicted withering effects on national economies, in Israel – it simply hasn’t worked. The opposite is true. Yes, boy-cotters are busy demonizing Israel. Yet despite this, Israel’s tourism industry has rocketed to a singular triumph and now employs tens of thousands. Flights are packed and new non-stops are being added across the globe. Even though new luxury hotels are going up as fast as the Mideast sun will dry concrete, rooms remain in high demand and, thus, are scarce and expensive. Israel has become world famous for creative cuisine and trendy eateries; so if you want to get a table at the most popular restaurants, you’ll need to book weeks in advance.
Travel and tourism to Israel has dramatically
changed. Israel is now a destination for
the entire world. Traditional Jewish-American travelers from Miami to Seattle
must now compete with Silicon Valley techies, Chinese students, Indian
tourists, East European Christian pilgrims and diverse businessmen from across
the planet. The numbers are multiplying.
IN 2016, 2.9 million total worldwide visitors visited Israel. By the close of 2018, that number had boomed to 4.1 million—and the totals keep climbing. Within the coming decade, Israel expects to employ 98,000 people in its tourism sector.
When Israeli tourism prospers, so does the Palestinian community. Christian pilgrims make a beeline for Bethlehem. Thus, tourism breeds economic interdependence and strengthens co-existence.
Arrivals stream in from everywhere.
Today, most North American travelers to Israel are not Jewish; they are Christian, often seeking Biblical discovery. From North America, Jews comprise about 40% to 45% of the travelers, while Christians generally hover at about 60% year to year, according to official estimates. While the Jewish-Christian percentages remain the same, the growth spurt for North America has seen the overall numbers increase by 42% since 2016.
In 2009, only 20,000 Indians visited Israel, reports Israel’s tourism office in New Delhi. Some years ago, Israel hosted Indian travel agents, knowing that in India, such agents book most of the travel. Reciprocal travel programs tapped such markets as India’s Kerala Christians.
IN 2016, 2.9 million total worldwide visitors visited Israel. By the close of 2018, that number had boomed to 4.1 million—and the totals keep climbing. Within the coming decade, Israel expects to employ 98,000 people in its tourism sector.
When Israeli tourism prospers, so does the Palestinian community. Christian pilgrims make a beeline for Bethlehem. Thus, tourism breeds economic interdependence and strengthens co-existence.
Arrivals stream in from everywhere.
Today, most North American travelers to Israel are not Jewish; they are Christian, often seeking Biblical discovery. From North America, Jews comprise about 40% to 45% of the travelers, while Christians generally hover at about 60% year to year, according to official estimates. While the Jewish-Christian percentages remain the same, the growth spurt for North America has seen the overall numbers increase by 42% since 2016.
In 2009, only 20,000 Indians visited Israel, reports Israel’s tourism office in New Delhi. Some years ago, Israel hosted Indian travel agents, knowing that in India, such agents book most of the travel. Reciprocal travel programs tapped such markets as India’s Kerala Christians.
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