200,000 tourists visited Israel in February, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Tourism Thursday. The number represents a 46 percent increase over February 2007 and 35 percent over February 2006. More than 380,000 tourists have visited the country since the beginning of the year.
Shaul Tzemach, director general of the Ministry of Tourism, said the numbers prove the success of an international advertising campaign to encourage Jews and non-Jews to visit Israel. "A series of marketing campaigns for Israel began around the world this month, designed to increase incoming tourist traffic despite the global economic crisis," he said.
141,000 tourists arrived by air, including 4,800 who flew directly to Eilat. In addition, approximately 25,000 tourists visited Israel for one day, mostly from Russia, Ukraine and Poland, entering via Taba.