Israel recently received its three-millionth tourist for 2017, even as its tourism director for the Philippines reminded Filipinos they can visit the Holy Land visa-free for 90 days if they have a valid passport.
More than 17,000 Filipinos have already visited Israel as of October, and that number could hit 20,000 by yearend, said Hassan Madah, Director of the Israel Ministry of Tourism Philippines.
The number of Filipino tourists to Israel is up 62 percent compared to the same January-to-October period last year, Madah said.
Israeli tourism data showed 14,600 Filipinos visited the Holy Land in 2016. Its all-time record for annual tourist arrivals so far is 3.54 million, which it is poised to break heading into the last two months of the year.
“This has been the best year of incoming tourist arrivals for Israel, and Philippines continues to be an important contributor for us. Our effort towards promoting Israel is yielding positive results, and we are witnessing successful outcomes of our increased investments in the Philippine market,” Madah said.
Tourism is an important contributor to the Israeli economy, and since the beginning of the year, the industry has brought in $4.1 billion into their country, he noted.
Israel Tourism Minister Yariv Levin recently welcomed the country’s three-millionth tourist for the year, Ioana Isac, accompanied by her partner Mihai Georgescu from Romania, with a festive reception ceremony at the Ben Gurion International Airport.
Levin and Tourism Ministry Director-General Amir Halevi then accompanied the excited couple to their awaiting limousine, as they set off for a dream holiday experience prepared by the Israeli government.
The trip started off with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu taking the couple through a private tour of the Old City of Jerusalem, starting with the Tower of David museum to the ancient fort that traces its foundations back to the Second Temple Period in the first century BC.
“This is a special day and an historic milestone as we break the three-million-tourist barrier, and we are set to end the year with an amazing achievement, the likes of which have never been reached since the establishment of the State. The huge investment that we are making in marketing Israel around the world and our collaborations with airlines and tour operators is bearing fruit,” Levin said.
The Israel Ministry of Tourism worked with several airlines to increase their flights in Israel and is pushing towards increasing the marketing activities in the country.