Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it… (Genesis 13:17)
October 2013 witnessed a record number of tourists arriving in Israel, according to numbers released by the Central Bureau of Statistics. The Bureau tracked the number of visitors to the country by land, sea and air, as well as their status in the country and the time spent there. Although some of the comparative numbers have fluctuated since 2010, the number of tourists arriving in Israel and staying overnight reached a high of 339,000, a record for the month.
Tourism Minister Dr. Uzi Landau attributed the increased numbers to good weather, as well as cultural and historical considerations. “Tourists continue to vote with their feet. Unlike with many other tourism destinations, tourists come to Israel and find sun for most of the year. This, in addition to the cultural and historic variety on offer. The Tourism Ministry will continue to market Israel overseas with the goal of realizing the potential.”
For October, the numbers break down as follows. 393,000 visitors entered the country last month, more than any October on record other than 2010. Of those, 339,000 stayed more than one night in the country, up 12% from last year and 4% from 2010, making it a record month.
Although 76% fewer day visitors arrived from Sinai this year compared to last year, due to civil unrest in Egypt, those visits were higher than the previous two months, which saw a 90% decrease.
297,000 visitors arrived by air, with another 42,000 arriving via other border crossings. Of the 54,000 day visitors recorded, 36,000 arrived on cruise ships (32% less than last October). 8,000 day visitors arrived via the land crossings (76% decrease on October 2012) and about 10,000 by air (50% more than last October).
Taken together, September and October 2013, the Jewish High Holiday season, saw a slight decrease in the number of visitors over last year — 648,000, or a drop of 7% — but most of this can be attributed to fewer day visitors. The 551,000 visitors defined as tourists represented a 3% increase over last year and another all-time record for the season.
Since the beginning of 2013, more than 3 million visitors arrived in Israel, 1% less than the same period in 2012, 6% more than 2011 and 3% more than 2010. Of these entries, 2.5 million were tourists, similar to the same period in 2012, 5% more than 2011 and 2010. 2.1 million entries were recorded by air, 1% more than the same period in 2012.
Tourism Minister Director-General Amir Halevi added: “After a period of tension in the region, tourism is back on the rise. The quiet security situation and the marketing efforts are proving themselves. Israel is an amazing tourist product with the potential to be a tourism powerhouse.”
