With the end of the operation in Gaza and the height of the winter, the hoteliers are renewing their demands from the Treasury to provide them with a 150 million shekel budget to market Israel around the World. According to Shabtay Shai, the General Manager of the Eilat Hotel Association the winter season in Eilat opened with high expectations for an excellent year in incoming tourism, based on expectations of 18 direct charter flights to Eilat from Europe and Russia. "In reality we are expecting no more than 4 weekly charter flights and these are not certain. The problem is that the airlines and travel companies are diverting their traffic that were supposed to come to Eilat to different destinations and we see no reservations on the horizon," he added disappointedly.
Eli Ziv, General Manager of the Tel Aviv Hotel Association said that Tel Aviv had enjoyed over the last few months an increasing trend in high growth of incoming tourism from the German and Russian markets, but expects that the first quarter of 2009 will finish in less than 50% occupancy for Tel Aviv hotels. At this time he believes that forecasts for Pesach also don't look good. Ami Hirschstein, Acting President of the Israel Hotels Association and Chairman of the Marketing Committee declared, the importance of not losing the marketing channels to Israel. "We must strengthen the connection with them, to support them and not to wait for a long term hit in tourism. We have to act immediately and put into effect an unprecedented marketing campaign of Israel to the World."
"We call on the Treasury department to immediately budget 150 millions shekels to the Ministry of Tourism to market Israel to the World. This relatively small budget can significantly help an entire industry that lives and relies on tourists, also it's a campaign that shows Israel in a good light and can help to improve it's image throughout the World.
