Nearly 300,000 tourists arrived in Israel during July, 70,000 of them from the US
Israel is enjoying an unexpected tourism boom and, according to the Tourism Ministry, 2012 looks to be a record year.
In a press release published recently by the Tourism Ministry, nearly 300,000 tourists arrived in July, a record for the month and an 8% increase over the previous July. The Ministry noted that each month of 2012 has so far set an all-time record for that month.
Nearly 70,000 of July’s tourists were from the U.S., a 9% increase over the previous July. The second largest source, with just under 30,000, was Russia. In the past two years, Israel dropped its visa requirements for tourists from Russia and Ukraine. The Tourism Ministry noted that the holy city of Jerusalem is a top draw, attracting 80% of all those who visit Israel.
