JERUSALEM — After a steady decline due to suicide bombings and military hostilities with Palestinians since 2000, the Israeli Board of Tourism reports that tourists are starting to return to the Holy Land. Almost 100,000 travelers visited the country in June — a 44 percent increase over June 2002.
Binyamin Elon, minister of tourism, expects 1.2 million tourists to visit Israel in 2003 alone. In fact, tourism visits have increased each month in 2003 when compared to the previous two years.
“This news gives us great confidence that things are on the mend,” observed Rami Levi, tourism ambassador of Israel to North America and South America.
Tourism from North America makes up approximately 25 percent of the total number of tourists to Israel — a 20 percent growth in share since 2000. “The new optimism in our part of the world is making a significant difference,” Levi said, “and we see it daily as more and more tourists arrive.”
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