Jerusalem – Israeli officials say the country’s vital tourism industry has been surprisingly resilient in the face of regional turmoil.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
While political unrest is drying up visits to places like neighboring Egypt, Israel’s tourism minister, Stas Misezhnikov, says tour operator bookings indicate a “good picture” for Israel this year.
Israel’s Incoming Tour Operators Association says that overall number of visitors this year is expected to be about the same or slightly lower than last year’s record of 3.4 million people.
But the damage is expected to be minimal, since most of the dropoff is expected to be from people who make brief stops in the country while also visiting Egypt.
The association says the number of visitors on more lucrative Israel-only trips rose 10 percent in February.