All the news about Israeli tourism

General Manager of Med Cruises in Israel, Anat Samovski advised that the Italian cruise Ship Company, Costa Cruises will be returning to Israeli ports this coming summer.  The management of Costa Cruises decided to combine Israel in their sailing routes after a 10 year absence as a result of security concerns.

According to Samovski in the next few weeks the ship Costa Marina will dock in Haifa after sailing on a cruise from the port of Savona in Italy, carrying 900 passengers from Europe.  The tourists will spend a day touring sites in Jerusalem, Massada, the Dead Sea and the Galilee.

The Italian company Costa Cruises is part of the Carnival Corporation & plc, owned by the Arison family. The corporation also own among others, Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn Cruise Line in North America; P&O Cruises and Cunard Line.  Med Cruises has recently been appointed as the representative for the cruise line in Israel; officially representing the Princess and Cunard brand names owned by businessman Micky Arison.  The companies until now were represented by the travel company Natour.

In addition to the arrival of the Costa Marina to Israel, it is expected that in January 2010 the new luxury liner Costa Pacifica, which was launched from its home port of Genoa in recent days, will also visit Israel.

The Italian cruise line has invested more than a $1 billion in the construction of the Costa Pacifica and the Costa Luminosa.  During the 2009 summer season, the ships will sail 7-night voyages in the Western Mediterranean calling at ports in Italy, Spain, Tunis, Malta and France.