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Following the sharp falls in hotel nights in most parts of the country; representatives of the tourist industry in the north have expressed their fears at the sluggishness at filling up their hotels as the peak summer season approaches.

Tourism representatives in the north are claiming that opposed to previous years and contrary to the expectations following on from the visit of the Pope, there has been a 40 percent fall in the number of hotel nights from overseas tourists. They also claim that with the threat of the recession being felt more intensely this year, the Israeli public is checking and comparing prices and being cautious before booking family summer holidays.

Dubi Banari, the general manager of the Pastoral Hotel explained that June was a good month for tourism for most of the hotels in the Galilee, with occupancy levels at between 70 to 80 percent as forecast. He added that with a holy period falling during a three week period in July, plus the sharp fall in the number of overseas tourists, this would show the real occupancy level for July compared to the figure for the same period last year.

According to reports, occupancy levels for the hotels in the north during July are expected on average to be only 55 percent, but tourism industry members are hoping that August will bring most of the holiday makers. In the Galil alone, occupancy levels are expected to total 60 percent, with the hope that there will be many last minute bookings.

According to Zipi Amar, reservations manager at the Mitzpe Hayamim hotel, this year Israelis are tending to make their reservations close to the time that they travel.