According to forecasts from the Israeli government, Israel looks set to receive more tourists this year than in any other year so far.

Around 1.7 million visitors went to Israel from January 2008 to July 2007.  That is approximately 40 per cent more than the same period last year, which showed around 1 million visitors.

In July alone, Israel had more than 260,000 tourist visitors, which is an increase of 75 per cent on 2006 and 22 per cent on 2007.

The tourism ministry forecast a total of around 2.8 million visitors for 2008 so these figures are in line with that forecast.

Tourism minister Ruhama Avraham-Balili said:

“The tourism ministry is working to improve the image of the tourism industry’s professionalism in order to attract new employees, minimise the turnover of personnel and increase the professionalism of the various sectors of the industry.”

There are also quite a few improvements being made to the Israel tourism industry, including security personnel, passport control and their public transport system.

Jerusalem is not only an archaeologists dream luxury holiday but has many attractions and sites, too many to list here but we will run through a few of them.

For the sightseers, one trip not to be missed is the Hass Promenade at the top of the hills of East Talpiot, from where you can see the entire landscape of Jerusalem and the skyline of the new city.  Jerusalem is also known as ‘the City of Peace’ and is one of the holiest, and oldest, cities in the world.

The old town, as you might expect, is a mass of white stone across hilltops and the old city is (more…)

As we wrote earlier today about the floating city of Venice, it seemed quite appropriate to then write about floating in the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is a hypersaline lake, i.e. high in salt content, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world and can be found between the West Bank, Jorden and Israel.  Each year it attracts thousands of visitors, partly because the waters and mud are believed to be medicinal and have therapeutic properties.  Many people cover themselves in the mud to benefit from the minerals contained therein.

A must-do activity for tourists is to try to sink in the lake’s water, however, the water is thicker than the human body and you cannot help but float, it is a strange feeling indeed!

The Dead Sea takes its name because fish cannot live in it due to the high salt content, however, that doesn’t stop hundreds of bird species from inhabiting the area.  The surrounding mountains are not short of wildlife either, with jackals, foxes, camels and even leopards aplenty.

There is no outlet to the Dead Sea and its only source of water is the River Jorden.  However, the area has 330 days of sunshine each year ranging from 30 - 40° C with only a few rainy days in winter contributing only around 4 inches of water each year.  In addition, the flow of the River Jordan is reducing as the Dead Sea is evaporating and so the area of the lake is decreasing.  Indeed, some of the waters at the southern end of the lake have become salt flats already, so floating in the Dead Sea may no longer be an option in years to come.

Haifa, Israel’s third-largest metropolitan city, sits on a hill overlooking a bay. Haifa is very different from either Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. It is beautiful and has a lifestyle of its own.

Haifa’s Baha’i Shrine and Gardens are very impressive. The well-maintained gardens with their cypress trees, stone eagles and peacocks are restful. Bab the Baha’ Allah’s messenger is buried under the grand domed shrine.

Stella Maris is made up of a lighthouse, a monastery and a church. The construction of the church began in 1836. It is a beautiful structure, with brightly patterned Italian marble. Brother Luigi Poggi paintings on the dome depict episodes from the Old Testament. Elijah’s Cave is at the bottom of Cape Carmel, below the Carmelite Monastery and the lighthouse.

Other attractions are:
• The National Maritime Museum covers five thousand years of maritime history in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea
• The Haifa Museum of Art houses contemporary sculpture and painting, with a strong stress on Israeli art.
• Muhraka, outside Haifa, boasts of an impressive stone statue of Elijah, a lovely Carmelite monastery and views over half of Israel.

Evenings in Haifa can be spent dining at fine restaurants, watching concerts or just strolling around town. Haifa is a family holiday destination.