Visiting Israel from page A37

Tower of David

Western Wail

Eilat

Bahal Gardens

from the Midwest Region, and we were
very excited to re-open the Ministry of
Tourism's Government Tourist Office in
Chicago this past January. The Chicago
office joins three existing offices in the
United States — in New York, Los Angeles
and Atlanta. I am proud to be serving as
the first Tourism Consul in the Midwest
Region since 2001 and to be working with
the many individuals and groups in the
region who are interested in visiting Israel.
The presence of Israel tourism offices in
all the major regions of the U.S. represents
both an understanding of Israel's appeal
to all American travelers and recogni-
tion that many people are not aware of
the myriad of opportunities available to
a tourist in Israel. Many tourism boards
have in recent years closed their offices in
the heartland of the country and instead
concentrated their efforts on the coasts.
Yet Israel is as dedicated as ever to telling
the people of Michigan (and its neighbor-
ing states) how possible and wonderful it
is to visit Israel.
There's so much more to say about visit-
ing Israel. But don't take my word for it —
go experience it for yourself! If you haven't
been to Israel, now is a great time to start
thinking about a trip. Visit the Ministry of
Tourism's Web site, www.goisrael.com , for
suggested itineraries and information on
different sites and activities. If you have
been to Israel before, it's not too soon to
think about going back. There are always
new sites to see and new things to do, in
addition to re-experiencing your favorite
places.
Going to Israel will be a surprising and
transforming experience for you — as a
Jew, as an American and as a world trav-
eler. It will be much more than you might
expect. ❑

Uri Steinberg is Israel tourism consul to the

Midwest Region based in Chicago.

Number Of U.S. Tourists
To Israel Over The Past
Five Years

t. Chateau Golan Wineryi

2003: 300,000
2004: 380,000
2005: 479,000
2006: 494,000
2007: 545,000

Purpose Of U.S. Tourists'
Trips To Israel

30% Making a pilgrimage
22% Touring/sightseeing
20% Visiting friends and relatives
18% Leisure/recreation
10% Other

Source: Israel Ministry of Tourism

A38

August 21 • 2008