Photo caption: Tourism Ministry's pre-Christmas reception for Church leadersTourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov today (17.12.12) hosted a pre-Christmas reception for the leaders of the Christian communities and churches in Israel at Mishkenot Sha’ananim in Jerusalem. During the festive event, the minister gave his greetings for Christmas to the Christian communities in Israel and called on the faithful around the world to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land: “The Christian community, in all its denominations and with its hundreds of millions of faithful around the world, represents one of the main anchors for incoming tourism to Israel. Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, with Jerusalem at its center, serves as a bridge for peace and cooperation between faiths and peoples.
” According to Tourism Ministry estimates, about 75,000 tourists will visit Israel during the Christmas period, of whom about 25,000 are Christian pilgrims. The ministry will operate a free, continuous 24 hour shuttle bus service between Jerusalem and Bethlehem from noon on Christmas Eve through to noon on Christmas Day and representatives from the ministry will welcome the visitors and pilgrims with sweets and cards.
The year 2012 will end as a record year for incoming tourism to Israel. About 3.3 million tourists have visited Israel from January through November 2012. Of these, about 60% are Christian tourists (52% Catholic; 21% Protestant and 10% Orthodox). About half of all Christian tourists to Israel define themselves as pilgrims. In the group photo (from left to right): Director of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem Juergen Buehler, Director-General of the Tourism Ministry Noaz Bar-Nir, H.E Nunzio Giuseppe Lazzarotto, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov, Custos of the Holy Land Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and from the Latin Patriarchate Mons. William Shumali and Bishop Giacinto Boulos Marcuzzo of Nazareth
In the second photo: Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov greeting the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III
Credit: Sasson Tiram
