Jerusalem hotels are offering special deals for the Sukkot holidays because of a high rate of empty rooms following unfulfilled expectations of demand from foreign tourists. One luxury hotel is allowing a third person free of charge and is offering a 10 percent discount.

One of the reasons for the downturn is that the Sukkot holiday falls in the middle of the week, leaving less time for touring during the rest of the holiday. Another reason for the lack of demand is the slide in the American real estate and stock markets.