The Tourism Ministry welcomed record-breaking tourist no. 3,000,001 in a festive ceremony at Ben Gurion airport on Monday, in the presence of Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov, Director-General of the Israel Airports Authority Kobi Mor and tourism industry leaders.

The ceremony took place as the tourist disembarked the El AL flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Each passenger on the flight received a gift from the Tourism Ministry and the tourist no. 3,000,001 received a special presentation from the Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov.

With the arrival of tourist no. 3,000,001, the previous annual record for incoming tourism of 3 million tourists in 2008 was broken. The year 2010 is expected to end with a total of 3.4 million tourists, an increase of 700,000 tourists over 2009 and 400,000 more than in 2008. The Tourism Ministry’s target for 2011 is 4 million tourists and 5 million for 2015.

At the event, Israel National News TV spoke with the record-breaking tourist Pastor Jomber Araujo Vladislav and Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov. Misezhnikov explained that the new policy of the Tourism ministry is to promote Israel as the Holy Land and not just another land of sand and sun like its neighbors.