ABOUT 6000 CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL FROM AROUND THE WORLD WILL CELEBRATE THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES IN JERUSALEM. TOURISM MINISTER STAS MISEZHNIKOV:"CHRISITAN TOURISM IN ALL ITS DENOMINATIONS WILL REMAIN AT THE CENTER OF THE TOURISM MINISTRY'S MARKETING ACTIVITIES IN THE COMING YEAR. CHRISTIAN TOURISM JUSTIFIES THE INVESTMENT. 1.7 MILLION CHRISTIAN TOURISTS ARRIVED IN ISRAEL IN 2011, 58% OF ALL INCOMING TOURISM".
About 6000 Christian friends of Israel from over 100 countries, led by Evangelical community leaders, will arrive in Israel to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (30 Sept – 4 October). Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov will welcome the thousands of Christian visitors to the feast in a special broadcast that will take place in the International Convention Center, Jerusalem. The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem is arranging the events surrounding the feast, with assistance from the Tourism Ministry. The events surrounding the Feast of Tabernacles, which is considered to be the largest single tourist event in Israel, will attract thousands of Christian visitors from, among others, Brazil, Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Chile , Austria, India, Italy, Nigeria, Finland and Norway. During the course of the week, the tourists will visit the major Christian holy sites around the country, as well as participating in seminars, lectures, workshops and the Jerusalem March on Thursday, 4 October.
The visit by some 6000 pilgrims is expected to add tens of thousands of bed nights in hotels, and an estimated overall injection of about NIS 25-30 million into the economy, including restaurants, sites, shopping etc. The Tourism Ministry, which is offering assistance with the convention, will operate an information booth at the International Convention Center, distributing material and offering tourist information as necessary.
In 2011, more than 25% of all incoming tourists came for the purpose of pilgrimage, and 42% of these were Christians. While the average daily expenditure of a tourist stands at $142, tourists who arrive on a pilgrimage spend an average of $175 a day.
The Tourism Ministry, which identified the vast potential inherent in Christian tourism, invests millions of shekel a year on marketing Israel among the various Christian communities around the world. In order to offer focused and professional market segmentation, the ministry recently established a Religious Tourism Desk designed to improve marketing for this target group. This, in addition to developing new itineraries and touring routes in Israel (such as the Gospel Trail) to meet the specific needs of the Christian pilgrim.
More information on the Feast of Tabernacles from ICEJ spokesperson, David Parsons at 052 381 6214
