During February the Ministry of Tourism will invest 26 million shekels in marketing activities with the purpose of restoring tourism to Israel. The objective: To strengthen the image of Israel as a safe place for tourists, maintain the demand to visit the country and strengthen the value of the wholesale market that works alongside the Ministry of Tourism. In the coming months the Ministry will put into effect a number of additional waves of marketing, together with the marketing budget that will be approved by the government.
After 2008 recorded a record year for Israel with 3 million tourists, 2009 has opened in the shadow of the operation in Gaza plus the Worldwide economic crisis, resulting in a slowdown in incoming tourism. Understanding the gravity of the situation, the Ministry of Tourism is putting into action a program of activities to strengthen tourism to Israel, including an advertising campaign, public relations activities, participation in Worldwide travel fairs, meetings with the large travel wholesalers plus more.
The first wave of marketing will begin in February and will take place in Germany, Russia, Italy and France. Within the general framework in the coming months, the Ministry of Tourism will carry out advertising campaigns in targeted countries, among them, North America, Britain and others; this in parallel with a variety of marketing activities in South Korea, Poland, Brazil and China.
According to the Minister of Tourism, the coming months will see the Ministry leading Israel's marketing and information activities in the tourist industry; with the aim of restoring confidence and belief that Israel is a safe place for tourists to visit.
Last week the Ministry of Tourism are representing Israel at the largest travel fair for Spanish speakers, which opened in Madrid. At the fair, there are expected to attend, as in past years, upwards of 13,500 companies, from 170 countries and in excess of 150,000 tourism representatives.
