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Britons flock to Holy Land in growing numbers
A record number of Britons visited Israel in 2019, with arrivals increasing 8% year on year to a total of 235,400.
Overall, the country saw an 11% increase in international visitors, which reached 4.55 million.
Israel Government Tourist Office UK director Sharon Bershadsky said: "We’re thrilled to end 2019 with a new record for inbound tourists to Israel from the UK. Our ‘Two Cities, One Break’ campaign continues to inspire UK travellers to get a taste of the buzzing, metropolitan, seaside delights of Tel Aviv, and explore the innumerable historic sites and archaeological wonders of Jerusalem.
"In 2020, we look forward to showcasing more of Israel’s natural wonders such as the Dead Sea, Masada, Eilat & the Negev Desert, alongside the country’s vibrant culinary offering, unique culture and arts scene, vibrant nightlife, outdoor adventure and wonderous ancient sites."
Minister of tourism Yariv Levin added: "Tourism growth has been driven by increased marketing budgets in recent years, and we hope that, despite the budget cut in 2020, we will be able to maintain the tremendous achievements we have reached."
Tourism ministry director, general Amir Halevi said there was concern that the growth will slow due to ‘significant’ marketing budget cuts, but he added: "The Ministry of Tourism will continue to work with the aim of developing tourism brands that will attract additional target audiences to Israel, spearheaded by the Negev and the desert and, in the future, the Galilee."
The destination was boosted at the back end of last year by the launch of Virgin Atlantic flights between London and Tel Aviv, and also the news that The Travel Network Group is to hold its 2020 overseas conference in Jerusalem.
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Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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