Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05TELAVIV6627
2005-11-23 12:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:  

GOI TOURISM OVERVIEW AND PROJECT INITIATIVES

Tags:  ECON EAIR ECONOMY AND FINANCE 
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231232Z Nov 05
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 006627 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2015
TAGS: ECON EAIR ECONOMY AND FINANCE
SUBJECT: GOI TOURISM OVERVIEW AND PROJECT INITIATIVES

REF: TEL AVIV 05124

Classified By: Economic Counselor William Weinstein for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 006627

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2015
TAGS: ECON EAIR ECONOMY AND FINANCE
SUBJECT: GOI TOURISM OVERVIEW AND PROJECT INITIATIVES

REF: TEL AVIV 05124

Classified By: Economic Counselor William Weinstein for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Ministry of Tourism (MoT) Marketing Director
Levi told econoff that 1.7 million tourists have visited
Israel this year, and brought three billion dollars to the
Israeli economy. He stressed that although U.S. travel
warnings for Israel have been eased, the warnings have hurt
the Israeli tourism sector. Levi also stressed that the MoT
is looking at capitalizing on key areas in Eilat to build
casinos and in the Galilee to set-up a religious retreat. He
said direct flights by Delta Airlines from Atlanta to Tel
Aviv, scheduled to start in February 2006, will help boost
the economy and bring many tourists to Jerusalem and other
sites. MoT Foreign Press Liaison Pulik said that the
ministry is also focusing on creating tourism sites in Druze
and Bedouin villages and towns and that ten million shekels
has been earmarked for them. Pulik also touched on regional
tourism engagement between Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the
Palestinian Authority. END SUMMARY.

--------------
Tourism: January to November 2005
--------------


2. (C) On November 22, econoff met with Ramee Levi, Director
of Marketing for the Ministry of Tourism. Levi told econoff
that 1.7 million tourists have visited Israel this year and
that he expects this figure to reach 2 million by the end of
December. He said 500,000 tourists came from the U.S.,
adding that tourists from France, Germany, and the U.K.
totaled 590,000. Note: On November 16, the ministry issued a
press release claiming that 1,589,700 tourists have visited
Israel from January to October 2005, a 27 percent increase
over the same period in 2004. End Note.


3. (C) Levi claimed that more than 90 percent of tourists go
to Jerusalem and the Galilee to visit holy sites. He
indicated that Eilat is another favorite destination for
Europeans seeking to escape the winter season, noting that
the increase in tourism has shored-up the tourism sector,
created jobs, and given the Israeli economy a boost. Levi
said that travel warnings issued by the U.S. in previous
years hurt Israel's tourism sector, but that the situation
had improved since the easing of the warnings in mid-2004.
Levi noted that the warnings were issued despite the fact
that the security apparatus in Israel is very vigilant and
active to ensure tourists' safety.


4. (C) He said that there are other tourism projects in the
planning stage such as a casino strip in Eilat, an
evangelical center in Galilee, and several pilot projects for
the Druze and Bedouin. He added the ministry is also working
to help Bedouin entrepreneurs start tourism projects in the
Negev, which will create jobs and generate revenue for their
community and the Negev in general.


5. (C) Levi commented the budget of the ministry is 20
million dollars and that it is using all of its resources and
assets to ensure that it maintains the momentum of bringing
tourists to Israel. He claimed that tourists have so far
spent three billion dollars in 2005 and that this amount
should increase in 2006, when 2.7 million tourists are
expected to visit. He remarked that Delta Airlines will
start direct flights from Atlanta to Tel Aviv in February
2006 and that this should bring another 100,000 tourists to
the country (Reftel).

--------------
Bedouin Tourism and Regional Cooperation
--------------


6. (C) Econoff met with Jonathan Pulik, head of Foreign Press
Liaison in the Ministry of Tourism. Pulik told econoff that
the ministry has many tourism objectives which are designed
to help the Israeli economy, especially minority groups such
as the Bedouin. He claimed that 10 million shekels (USD 2.2
million) has been set aside by the ministry in order to work
with different groups in the Bedouin community to develop
tourism and improve the dismal employment conditions in the
Negev.


7. (C) Regarding regional cooperation, Pulik said that a
recent meeting took place between tourism ministers from
Israel, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority (PA). He
said that they discussed development of joint tourism
projects, but noted, however, that nothing had gone beyond
the conceptual stage.

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