All the news about Israeli tourism

In September 2009 there was a 28 percent fall in hotel nights recorded for overseas guests and an 8 percent fall for Israelis, compared to the same month last year. This was revealed by the reports of the Israel Hotels Association.  National occupancy levels declined by 18 percent, standing at a overall rate of 56 percent.

According to the data released by the economic department of the Israel Hotels Association, there were a total of 1.5 million overseas tourist and Israeli hotel nights during September; this was a fall of 16 percent compared to the corresponding month in 2008. National room occupancy levels were 56 percent, this compared to 69 percent last year.

The number of hotel nights for overseas tourists continued the downward trend, totaling only 550,000 in September, this compared to 759,000 during September 2008.  The gloomy data was reflected in most parts of the country, with the largest decline being recorded in the hotels in Haifa with only 11,000 hotel nights, a reduction of 40 percent on last year.  Hotels in Eilat recorded a 14 percent fall in the number of tourist hotel nights.

In contrast, the number of Israeli hotel nights, which in the last few months compensated for the decline in overseas tourists, totaled 977,000 hotel nights during September, a fall of 8 percent compared to September 2008. Israeli hotel nights comprised some 64 percent of the total number of hotel nights, with the hotels in Eilat (down 6 percent) recording more than half of all hotel nights. Hotels in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Nazareth were the only ones which recorded an increase in the number of Israeli hotel nights.

Since the start of the year a 10 percent reduction was recorded in the number of hotel nights compared to the same period last year, totaling 14.7 million. National occupancy levels averaged 58 percent, a decline of 13 percent on the previous year.