The Israel Government Tourist Office in the UK has announced that 2019 saw a record number of tourist arrivals to Israel from the UK, with 235,400 visiting the country throughout the year, representing an increase of 8% from 2018 and 19% from 2017.
As a whole, Israel welcomed a record-breaking 4,551,600 international tourists to the country throughout 2019, an increase of 11% from 2018 and 26% from 2017.
Sharon E. Bershadsky, director of Israel Government Tourist Office UK, said: ?We?re thrilled to end 2019 with a new record for inbound tourists to Israel from the UK. Our ?Two Cities, One Break? campaign continues to inspire UK travellers to get a taste of the buzzing, metropolitan, seaside delights of Tel Aviv, and explore the innumerable historic sites and archaeological wonders of Jerusalem. In 2020, we look forward to showcasing more of Israel?s natural wonders such as the Dead Sea, Masada, Eilat & the Negev Desert, alongside the country?s vibrant culinary offering, unique culture and arts scene, vibrant nightlife, outdoor adventure and wonderous ancient sites.?
Yariv Levin, minister of tourism for Israel, said: ?As we expected, 2019 ended with a new record for incoming tourism to Israel, and a record NIS 22 billion in tourism revenue. We continue to consolidate the inbound tourism industry thanks to innovative marketing and promotional campaigns, and we recorded a 10% increase in incoming tourism in December 2019, compared with the same month last year. Tourism growth has been driven by increased marketing budgets in recent years, and we hope that, despite the budget cut in 2020, we will be able to maintain the tremendous achievements we have reached.?
General Amir Halevi, tourism ministry director, added: ?In 2019, we have broken the record for incoming tourism with a record 4.55 million tourists. We are within reach of achieving 5 million tourists, but we are concerned that the momentum we have achieved in focused marketing that has proven itself will not continue with the same intensity because of significant budget cuts. However, the Ministry of Tourism will continue to work with the aim of developing tourism brands that will attract additional target audiences to Israel, spearheaded by the Negev and the desert and, in the future, the Galilee. I thank the Tourism Ministry staff, our team at LAPAM and the consultants who have accompanied us on our record-breaking path this year as well.?
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