Number of tourists nights increases by 21% in 2008

The North enjoys the most significant growth in overnight stays in hotels by tourists – 40% while the city of Jerusalem has experienced the biggest drop –16%. Nevertheless, hotels in the capital recorded the highest room occupancy levels – 14% compared with 2% in Tel Aviv, 11% in hotels in the North, and 3.5% in the southern region.

It can also be seen that half of overnight stays by Israelis were in Eilat and another 15% were at the Dead Sea (a total of two-thirds of overnight stays by Israelis were concentrated in the southern region) and that the greatest drop in the number of overnight stays by Israelis was recorded in the Jerusalem district (16%). In the North, the increase recorded in the number of overnight stays by tourists was the highest – 39% (Tiberias led with an increase of 46% in the number of overnight tourist stays).

In the last three months (October-December, 2008), a rise in the annual level of overnight stays in hotels by tourists was recorded: 11 million overnight stays compared with 9.9 million last year. In December, 2008, 1.5 million overnight stays were recorded – of these, 41% were by tourists – 623,000. Average hotel room occupancy for last December was 55%, which is similar to that of December, 2007.

Tel aviv beach area