Page 34—Supplement to The Jewish News—March 16, 1973

Tourism Israel's Third Largest Industry

By HANOCH GIVTON
Director General, Israel Ministry of Tourism
Historically, the Holy Land has always been a land

of pilgrimages and thus, in a sense, a land of tourism.
Christians have been coming to visit the sites associated
with Christianity since the year 300. For Moslems, Jeru-
salem was the Holy City from where Mohammed ascend-
ed to heaven, and so became a cherished shrine. For
Jews, the land of Israel was the treasured homeland
from which they had been expelled by the invaders after
the destruction of the Second Temple.
To Zion, Jews turned in their prayers, in times of
sorrow and of joy, and to Zion they traveled—through
the ages—for spiritual sustenance.
Israel is blessed with all the "raw materials" of a
tourist industry—a mild climate with most areas enjoy-
ing sunshine and warmth in summer and also in winter.
There are four seas, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea,
the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee with sun-drenched
beaches; therapeutic springs; and a people speaking
eight languages, whose tradition of hospitality dates back
to the days of Abraham. Israel they have realized is
vital, dynamic, meaningful, and fun.
In the 1950s we began to develop our tourism in-
frastructure. Roads were constructed and beaches de-
veloped. Hotels of all categories, youth hostels and camp-
ing facilities were built.
The government of Israel had conferred the status
of an export industry on tourism. It is Israel's number
one foreign currency earner.
These 660,000 tourists were all overseas visitors who
came by .air or sea. But another 110,000 Arab visitors
came to Israel across the Jordan River within the frame-
work of our summer visit scheme; they were not in-
cluded in these statistics nor is the money they expend.
Though they spent only some $6,000,000 the importance
of their visits in human terms cannot be overestimated.
This year we expect 150,000 of these Arab tourists, an
increase of over 40 per cent.
The rate of 'tourist growth has a direct bearing on
the economy as a whole. For instance, new hotels re-
quire building materials, furniture, electric appliances,
textiles, and other equipment or goods of high quality.
Despite the price-gap between locally-produced and im-
ported goods, Israeli investors are now buying more
locally produced material because of a law granting a
15 per cent discount to approved investors.
Tourism also strengthens the Israel economy be-
cause of direct tourist purchases of local goods which, in
turn, provide the stimulus for the production of new and
more sophisticated items.
The strip along the Mediterranean in Tel Aviv is
being rapidly converted into a concentration of quality
hotels that will eventually make it one of the world's
most prestigious vacation areas. Haifa, long by-passed

in tourist development, is implementing ambitious plans
to catch up with Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Tourism as a means of welding together the two
parts of Jerusalem is a significant force in the economic
and social development of the capital. But the most
striking example is probably the development of the
Dead Sea shore and the new town of Arad which have
completely revolutionized life in this once desolate area.
A long cherished plan is rapidly taking shape and by
1975 there will be over 3,000 hotel rooms available on
the Dead Sea shore, the lowest point on earth.
Last year we received the 500,000th tourist; now our
sights are set on the millionth some time by the end' of
1973 or beginning of 1974. This means that by 1975 we
will be operating within the bracket of one to two million
tourists annually, compared with a population that will
number about 3,250,000.
There are presently 9,267 rooms under construc-
tion, most of them representing new hotels, some of
them additions to existing accommodations. Out of this,
more han 4,900 rooms are being built in Tel Aviv and
the center of the country, and 2,200 in Jerusalem, for a
total investment value of 650,000,000 Israeli pounds, or
about $162,500,000. These new rooms will be ready
at the end of 1974, or mid 1975, so that by that time
Israel will have increased its - capacity from the present
16,200 rooms to 25,500 rooms.
In order to cope with the progress in youth and stu-
dent tourism, the bed capacity in camping sites, youth
hostels and kibutzim will be increased during the pres-
ent year by about 20 per cent for a total of 15,000 beds
in kibutz settlements, 6,800 beds in 34 youth hostels,
2,500 beds in the vicinity of several cities where young
people can participate in archaeological excavations,
1,200 beds in holiday camps and 5,000 in camping sites.
In addition to the 9,250 rooms presently under con-
struction there are more than 50 hotels now in the plan-
ning stage, representing about 7,800 rooms and an in-
vestment of 600,000,000 Israeli pounds. Almost half of
these additional rooms will be built in Jerusalem, some
of them ready in 1975.
A look at the principal export branches of Israel
reveals that diamonds in 1971 grossed $265,000,000;
citrus, $155,000,000 and tourism, $180,000,000.
The immediate future of Israel tourism will be dom-
inated by the impact of the State of Israel's 25th anni-
versary celebrations (September 1972-September 1973).
Based on similar experiences of this type the 10th and
20th anniversaries, Olympics, etc.), we anticipate a
great increase, especially in Jewish tourism in 1972
and '73, and a further stabilizing increase in 1974. There-
after, the 25th anniversary and its powerful pull on Jews
the world over, will recede in influence and the pressure
for accommodation should shift to the non-Jewish pil-
grimage traffic and the non-Jewish traffic in general.

Take off with the Scandinavians.
Navigators of the world...
since it was flat.

Tale your vacation with us. SAS will be privileged to fly you

to our country — lands filled with the spirit of adventure.

There's the tang of the sea, ancinet folklore, clean beautiful

cities and incredible awe-inspiring scenery.

SC441 0/41411:441 4/R4ZVES

SAS 2540 Book Bldg. — Detroit (313) 963-8870