An all-time July record for Israeli tourism was set last month, with 245,900 tourists entering the country.
The Ministry of Tourism reported that this marked a 2% increase from the previous July and a 4% jump from July 2011. There were two million tourists and day visitors in January-July.
However, the number of tourists entering Israel via land crossings fell by 8% in July compared to the previous July. The Tourism Ministry attributes this drop to instability in the Sinai Peninsula. Most tourists to Israel arrive by air: 219,700 in July, 3% more than in July 2012. 25,900 tourists arrived by land in July, 8% fewer than in the corresponding month, including 20,000 from Jordan (down 14%), and 7,700 from Egypt via Eilat (up 51%). 54,000 entries were recorded by day visitors, 24% more than June 2012.Of these, 16,000 arrived on cruise ships (52% more than last June). 16,000 day visitors arrived via the land crossings (14% decrease on June 2012) and about 22,000 by air (51% more than last June).
The decrease in visitor entries can be attributed primarily to the decrease in day visitors crossing into Israel from Sinai at Taba into Eilat (51% less than in July 2012). 220,000 entries were by air (3% more than July 2012 and higher than 2011 and 2010). 26,000 arrived through the border crossings, 8% less than July 2012; 20,000 came through the border with Jordan (14% decrease) and about 8,000 through Taba crossing and Yitzhak Rabin Border Terminal, Eilat (51% less than last July).
