From the ArcaMax Publishing, Religious News Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/religiousnews/s-365533-989540
Tourism in Israel is flourishing despite ongoing security concerns,
setting an all-time record in May, the country's statistical service
said.
Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics said 297,000 tourists entered
the country last month, with U.S. and Russian visitors leading the
way, Ynetnews.com reported Wednesday. It said the figures represent a
60 percent increase in tourism activity from the year-earlier mark and
a 5 percent increase over May 2000 when Pope John Paul II visited
Israel.
The statistics showed 1.2 million tourists visited Israel between
January and May, a 40 percent jump from the same five-month period in
2007.
"Many of the tourists arriving in Israel are businessman and
devotees," Eli Gonen, president of the Israel Hotel Association told
Ynetnews.com. "But the relative calmness at this time is opportune for
investing money in targeted marketing that would bring leisure tourism
to Israel to enjoy everything the country has to offer."
Ynetnews.com quoted an unnamed tourism industry source saying the
numbers could have been even higher had an "open sky" policy for
airlines been in effect.