TOURISM MINISTER STAS MISEZHNIKOV: “An analysis of the statistics points to the extent of the damage caused to the Israeli tourism industry as a result of Operation Pillar of Defense. Activities dealing with the crisis focus on the immediate short-term with an increase in efforts in the main markets and the creation of a marketing infrastructure in other source countries over the long term. The effect of Operation Pillar of Defense and how to deal with it is one of the main subjects under discussion at the Herzliya Conference on Tourism that will take place on Monday, 28 January.”

 As a result of Operation Pillar of Defense, there was a decrease of visitor entries from the leading source countries for incoming tourism:

According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics on the breakdown of incoming tourism by source country for 2012, the United States remains the largest source country for incoming tourism with the arrival of 617,933 visitors, 3% less than 2011.

 Russia is the second largest source country for incoming tourism, with 587,743 visitors during 2012, 20% more than in 2011. France is the third largest source country for incoming tourism, with 300,573 visitors during 2012 (same as 2011). Germany is the third largest source country for incoming tourism with 239,758 visitors in 2012, 9% more than 2011.

Other European countries which registered a good increase in incoming tourism during 2012 include Italy, with 170,033 visitors during 2012, 12% more than in 2011 (151,245 visitors in 2011). 67,850 visitors arrived from Holland, 8% more than 2011 (63,047 in  2011). The Tourism Ministry’s Marketing Administration invested about NIS 11 million in marketing Israel to Holland and Italy, while focusing on the Christian markets and also highlighting the uniqueness of Eilat and Yel Aviv as leading leisure and entertainment cities.

Finnair will begin operating two scheduled flights a week from Helsinki in 2013. A total of ten scheduled flights will operate this summer between Israel and Scandinavia: 4 from Copenhagen, 4 from Stockholm and 2 from Helsinki, operated by SAS and Norwegian. This is a significant increase in the seat supply from Scandinavia. The Tourism Ministry’s Marketing Administration supports the development and is already preparing the relevant marketing support which will launch in the coming weeks.

 Despite the effects of Operation Pillar of Defense, 6,684 visitors arrived from the Scandinavian countries of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark in December 2012, an increase of 19% on December 2011. A total of 81,000 visitors arrived from Scanidnavia in 2012, 2% more than in 2011 (79,555).

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov: “The increase in the number of scheduled flights from Scandinavia to Israel is an expression of confidence in the Israeli tourism product. We are ready to market Israel as an attractive tourism destination for this market and expect an increase in the numbers of tourists arriving from Scandinavia.”