(IsraelNN.com) The Ministry of Tourism hopes to double the number of international conferences taking place in Israel in 2009.  83 such conferences have taken place or will be held in Israel during 2008, involving 18,000 participants.

The year 2008 is shaping up as a record-breaking year for Israeli tourism, with nearly 1.3 million tourist visitors having entered in the first half of the year - up 34% from the same period last year.

An average international conference in Israel lasts between 3-4 days, with an additional 4-5 days of touring and leisure. The average tourist visiting Israel spends $900 during his stay, including visits to tourist sites and attractions, travel, restaurants, shopping, etc. It is therefore no wonder that Israel is working to increase its already impressive conference numbers.

Following the Palestinian Authority's Oslo War against Israel that began in 2000, the number of conferences in Israel - and tourism in general - dropped significantly. However, these numbers have steadily increased over the past few years. 

Tourism Ministry Director-General Sha'ul Tzemach says his ministry's efforts are bearing fruit: "The desire of conference organizers and participants to use Israel for large international conferences is a sign of the positive change in Israel's image and attraction as a tourist destination." 

Conferences and exhibitions scheduled to take place in Israel this year cover varied topics such as medicine, agriculture, religion, science and technology. Most of the conferences take place in Eilat, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. 

Five Universities, Five Projects
In other Tourism Ministry news, five universities in Israel have been chosen to carry out five important research projects that will help advance tourism to Israel.  The topics to be researched are the following:

• Family vacations as a lever to help develop regional tourism in the periphery;
• The building of an economic statistical model based on surveys of incoming tourists;
• Formulating a policy for the protection of tourism consumers;
• Testing the economic potential of establishing a spiritual-religious center in the Galilee;
• Planning for tourists and balancing between the desired and the available.

The projects, planned to last one year each, will be researched in Haifa University, Ariel University Center, Ben Gurion University, Tel Aviv-Jaffa Academic College, and the Technion. The sum of 125,000 shekels (roughly $36,000) has been designated for each project.

The Ministry of Tourism has also announced a program to promote bicycle riding as a central component of its tourism package.  Based on this healthy, nature-based activity, Israel hopes to sell itself as an international tourism destination in the international bike-riding field.  The government has budgeted 100 million shekels over the next five years to help the program get off the ground.