Tourism in Israel

Tourism in Israel is an important economic factor in Israel. The responsible authority is the Ministry of Tourism.

Many destinations in Israel are sites of Christianity, such as the Old City of Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem and the Sea of ​​Galilee. In addition, there are numerous historical sites such as the towns of Caesarea, Beit Shean and Acre, Masada fortress as well as a section of the former spice route from Petra to Gaza. Beach holidays are possible on the Mediterranean coast, the Red Sea and the Dead Sea. The Red Sea ( Eilat ), there are also dive sites and resorts. In addition, there are in Israel eight sites of the UNESCO World Heritage List. Due to the excellent transport infrastructure independent travel can be easily performed.

The place with the highest tourist traffic is Jerusalem with approximately 3.5 million visitors annually. Tel Aviv was visited by 1.676 million tourists. Origin of tourists for the highest number ( first): USA, Russia, France and the United Kingdom. In 2008, the Israeli government has allocated 10 million shekels ( approximately € 2.077 million ) for tourism promotion in Europe.

Most tourists travel near Tel Aviv from Ben Gurion Airport. Entry problems there are, if present in the passports of tourist visas or entry stamps from Arab countries (except Jordan and Egypt). The Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany has published a part of this country travel warning, which is currently not recommended, among others, to travel to the Gaza Strip.