The site, which emerged from humble beginnings, is the go-to resource for young English speaking tourists in Israel. The site covers an unprecedented range of topics ranging from the typical tourist sites such as Masada or the Dead Sea, to places which are off the beaten track which were previously inaccessible to English speaking tourists. It also covers concerts, festivals, activities, restaurants, and accommodation information to provide the complete information package that tourists need when planning to visit Israel.
Tourist Israel was born out of frustration at the lack of relevant information about travel in Israel, including off the beaten track sites and activities in Israel that would allow tourists to experience the ‘real Israel’. “The great response to the site was totally unexpected” says Ben Julius, now 22, whose Aliyah from London last year has spurred the site’s growth.
“Israel is seeing a greater number of independent visitors than ever before, and they want to see more than just the historic and religious sites that Israel is most famous for”, says Ben. “We get emails from people coming to Israel for reasons that never cease to amaze, from outdoor enthusiasts coming to hike the Israel Trail, to nature-lovers coming to see birds in the Hula Valley, and even Europeans coming to Tel Aviv for music events. Many of the places which the site covers focus on promoting themselves only to the Israeli market, but with 3 million tourists a year visiting Israel, the potential is huge. There is also a big interest in Israel’s vibrant cultural scene which is still under-exposed to the world.”
The site now receives over 125,000 views a month from across the globe, and is being used by a spectrum of tourists. These range from young professionals coming to embrace the nightlife, culture, and buzz of Tel Aviv, and its vibrant culinary and boutique hotel scene, to European backpackers who embrace the growing infrastructure that is being developed to support them from hostels to tour products. As well as the typical sources of tourism – the USA, Canada, UK, and France, the site receives large numbers of visits from Germany, India, and Latin American countries.
The site has over 20,000 organic (not paid) fans on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks, and has been referenced by CNN, Stern Magazine, and the Huffington Post, among others. Increasing numbers of companies serving tourists visiting Israel, as well as event organizers are choosing Tourist Israel as a platform to reach a captive and young audience – from hotels and hostels and tour companies, to event promoters.
“Being selective with content is crucial” said Ben, “probably coming from the outside allows me to have a better sense of what will appeal to tourists, although often I am surprised – for instance, there is a huge interest in music and cultural festivals, even where the artists aren’t familiar outside of Israel.”
With more and more low cost airlines flying to Israel, and greater number of tourists visiting each year, the prospects look bright for Tourist Israel, which is continuing to see rapid growth.
