Path to Masada
Path to MasadaIsrael news photo: Flash 90


The Israeli tourism industry's turnover in 2011 was NIS 149 million, according to a Dun & Bradstreet report. This sum was about 4.5% more than the turnover in 2010, which was about NIS 143 million.

The annual D&B report on Israeli tourism and recreation sites found no significant change in the number of visitors to the rated tourist sites in 2011.   

All together, about 5,617,000 people visited the sites, marking a 1% drop from 2010.

Masada, overlooking the Dead Sea, continues to top the for-pay tourism site charts. In 2011 it broke its own record from the previous year, chalking up NIS 35.8 million in revenues – a rise of 5.1%. It had 786,000 visitors – a 3% rise.

In second place was the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem, with 746,639 visitors and an income of NIS 29.5 million – figures that rose 3.7% and 2.8%, respectively.

The steepest climb in popularity belongs to the Ramat Gan Safari Park, which came in third with 744,550 visitors, a rise of 13.3%. The Yamit 2000 site in Holon registered its best year ever, with 426,999 visitors and NIS 26.4 million in income.