Tourists Undeterred

January 11, 2016

As the tales of nearly daily terror attacks on Israeli civilians and security personnel continue to demand media attention across the globe, international tourists remain undeterred in their desire to visit the Land of Promise.

In fact, according to statistics released by the Central Bureau of Statistics, October 2015 proved a record-breaking month as far as Israel’s tourism industry is concerned, with some 290,000 tourists flocking to Israeli shores.

Despite the security situation, the number of those choosing to spend their vacation time in the Jewish state has climbed by some 29% since September 2015 and has increased by 5% from October 2014.

During times of relative peace and quiet, the Jewish state attracts more than 3 million foreign holiday-makers per annum, The Times of Israel reports. However, security situations, such as wars and violent uprisings, usually send tourism plummeting as foreign visitors go in search of seemingly less volatile destinations. Yet, instead of the numbers decreasing, foreign visitors continued to flock to Israel over the month of October.

Moreover, tourism executives have also indicated that the wave of terror has had little effect on future reservations and that it is largely business as usual for Israel’s tourism industry.

As the long, hot summer months have given way to chillier days, Israel has been steadily welcoming foreign visitors from far and wide during the winter season.

Source: By Ilse Posselt, Bridges for Peace