Israel Welcomes Jewish New Year With Record-Breaking Number Of Tourist Arrivals

The Hebrew year 5779 (2018-2019) is expected to end with an all-time record of 4.6 million tourist arrivals, according to data published by the Tourism Ministry ahead of the start of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, which begins Sunday night.

The number of tourists increased by 18 percent, compared to last year’s 3.9 million tourists in Israel, the Tourism Ministry said.

Tourism revenue also increased over the past year, with NIS 22.4 billion ($6.38 billion) in 2018-2019, up from 19 billion ($5.5 billion) compared to the same period last year.

An estimated 82,000 tourists have already arrived this week and an estimated 24,000 more are expected to arrive for the Rosh Hashana holiday.

“This is the third consecutive record-breaking year for incoming tourism and this year we are seeing an 18 percent increase and 4.6 million tourists expected to arrive in Israel by the end of the Hebrew year,” said Tourism Minister Yariv Levin. “These impressive increases are a direct result of the strenuous work and revolutionary changes made by the Ministry of Tourism, with an emphasis on expanding accommodation options in the country and reducing the cost of vacationing in Israel.”

“I wish you all a Happy New Year and continued significant achievements in tourism!” he added.

Amir Halevi, the director-general of the Tourism Ministry, noted that the office will continue to promote diverse tourism products and brands to encourage the upward trend in incoming tourism.

“The momentum in the tourism industry creates opportunities and we are happy with the trend of increasing numbers of entrepreneurs who see tourism as an economic growth engine and invest in Israel,” he said.