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Cruise travel to Israel reaches all-time high
Costa Cruises earlier this year announced an end to calls in Israel but tourist authorities there say cruise travel is expected to reach an all-time high this month with the confirmed arrival of 50,000 tourists and crew docking in the Israel port cities of Ashdod and Haifa.
About 68,000 cruise travellers arrived in Israel between January and April 2011 — a 37 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
“We are thrilled to be experiencing a new wave of international cruise travel to Israel,” says Haim Gutin, Israel Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America, “and hope this trend will inspire travellers to return to Israel for an extended stay.”
Costa announced earlier this year it was dropping calls to Israel, as well as Tunisia and Alexandria, citing uncertainty in the region.
In a statement, Costa Cruises stressed that it valued the "great appeal" of Tunisia, Egypt and Israel as "prime tourist destinations" but said that recent events had prompted its decision to change itineraries in the region.
"The changes are due to the company’s need to anticipate, plan and ensure the best possible technical and maritime practices throughout the season," added the cruise line.
The pull-out affected a number of Costa ships sailing in the Mediterranean this year, including the Costa Concordia, Costa Serena and Costa Magica.
By David Wilkening
David
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