Israel Tourism Booms As Hotels, Tel Aviv Youth Hostels Booked

Israel Tourism Booms As Hotels, Tel Aviv Youth Hostels Booked

Ad from 2010 campaign promoting Tel Aviv, Israel

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By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency

Jerusalem ---- May 16, 2010 …. As Israel's short spring turns into a hot and fun summer, a record number of tourists are arriving in Tel Aviv to enjoy the long, sandy beaches, exciting night life and a magical mystery trip embracing thousands of years of culture and history.

And to make sure that even more tourists will get an eyeful of the Holy Land, Bodden Partners, a New York advertising agency has just launched a $10 million campaign for the Israel Ministry of Tourism titled: "There's a Little Bit of Israel in All of Us."

"This is by far the busiest season we have ever experienced," said Giora Salama, owner of the Gordon Inn Youth Hostel in Tel Aviv. "We had over 700,000 tourists last year just from the US. Even with the global recession affecting the travel and tourist industries, Israel was only off by nine percent compared to countries including Italy and Spain that were estimated to be down as much as by 35 percent."

Salama, who operates one of the cleanest and cheapest youth hostels in Tel Aviv, said that almost every room of the 27 rooms and dormitories that he rents out is booked through September.

"The Gordon Youth Hostel will always find room for guests as they arrive from the US, London, Paris, Germany and Canada," says Salama. And if we are overbooked we will find another hostel or hotel which is clean, provides cable and WiFi and is only minutes from the beach."

Meanwhile, a ten minute walk away is Giora's brother Avi beach restaurant - La Mer. The two brothers have hardly any time as they manage their respective staff, but they do find a few minutes to stretch their eyes and enjoy a few laughs.

"Jerusalem was recently named as one of the top ten travel destinations for the coming year by travel review Website TripAdvisor," says Avi. "But for every tourist that visits Jerusalem, you will find two more visiting the beaches of Tel Aviv. Without any doubt we have one of the longest, cleanest and sexiest beaches in the Mediterranean. From tourists and businessmen to hi-tech investors and solders on R&R from nearby countries, we offer it all in the only democratic Middle East state where you can enjoy wearing a bikini without getting arrested."

Avi directs one of the many beautiful, young waitresses at his Tel Aviv beach restaurant to couple waiting to find seats on the beach.

"In April Israel welcomed over 317,000 visitors, a 26 percent increase over April 2009," says Avi.

Giora smiles, saying that each year the tourists from Europe and North America get more attractive. Avi responds that this is the result of a dark bronze tan which kisses each tourist playing volleyball, swimming, running, surfing or just sipping on a kosher Pina Coloda on the Tel Aviv beach.

"The Israel Tourism Ministry has increased it marketing for the coming months in order to leverage the positive incoming tourism seen in recent months and to position Israel as an attractive tourist destination," said Israel Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov.

"The Tourism Ministry's target is to exceed over 1.5 million incoming tourists in the summer of 2010 (from May to September) as part of a three-year plan in which is geared to attract an additional million tourists to Israel by 2012."

"The comeback witnessed in Israel's incoming tourism in recent months was among the fastest in the Israel economy and contributed to the country's income and created many new jobs," said Misezhnikov.

Giora walks back to the Tel Aviv Gordon Youth Hostel and climbs the stairs to the roof. He sits down on one of the many soft lounge chairs next to a busy bar, a pool table and several tall, green plants providing an element of privacy for his Tel Aviv youth hostel guests.

"We have it all," says Giora.

"Just look at that bursting orange sunset. You can rent a bicycle and tour Tel Aviv, visit the trendy Tel Aviv port for a cup of Expresso, take in the ancient city of Jaffa. When you come back you are always greeted with a warm smile. Free coffee and tea. We pick up many of the tourists who come to visit Israel at Ben-Gurion Airport and arrange tours for them to see Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hafia, Eilat, Masada, Western Wall, Nazareth, the Negev desert, Sea of Galilee and the Golan Height with excursions to Jordan and Egypt. But almost all of them wind back here after days of sightseeing."

"Is there anything better, more sensual besides sex than eating a fresh steak or St. Peters fish with chips, enjoying red Golan wine as you feel the sun and the wind as it gently blows in from the sea?"

The Israel News Agency, which is accredited by Israel Government Press Office, was the first on line news organization in Israel. The INA reaches up to 60 million readers through Google News and Internet social networking channels such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube from New York, London, Moscow and Paris to Toronto, Los Angeles, China and India. Leyden is presently launching the United States News Agency using the INA as a successful working model.

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