A reception marking the arrival of the one-millionth tourist to Israel in 2003 will be held this afternoon on the gangway of Continental Airlines Flight 090 arriving from Newark, New Jersey. The passengers will be taken to the Arrivals Hall for a festive ceremony with Tourism Minister Benny Elon, who will award one of the visitors with a certificate and a gift. Elon will preside over a Chanukah-candle lighting ceremony in their honor as well.
The tourism sector is proud of the increase in visitors to Israel; only 862,000 tourists arrived in Israel last year. "We attribute great importance to the fact that one million tourists have come to Israel," Minister Elon said. "This year we are seeing an impressive recovery, after the severe tourism crisis resulting from the ongoing [hostilities], and after the period of the Gulf War, when no tourists came between January and March. This recovery began after intensive and focused marketing efforts by the entire tourist industry in Israel and around the world. The tourist industry is the only branch of the economy that is encouraging growth by adding places of work and bringing foreign currency into Israel in these difficult times. For every 100,000 tourists coming to visit Israel, the country gains $9 million and 4,500 permanent places of employment."
In addition, 260 new immigrants - olim chadashim, in Hebrew - are arriving in Israel today, part of this week's total of 740. Today's new citizens include 165 from Argentina and Uruguay, 50 from the former Soviet Union, 26 from Ethiopia, and ten from England.
The tourism sector is proud of the increase in visitors to Israel; only 862,000 tourists arrived in Israel last year. "We attribute great importance to the fact that one million tourists have come to Israel," Minister Elon said. "This year we are seeing an impressive recovery, after the severe tourism crisis resulting from the ongoing [hostilities], and after the period of the Gulf War, when no tourists came between January and March. This recovery began after intensive and focused marketing efforts by the entire tourist industry in Israel and around the world. The tourist industry is the only branch of the economy that is encouraging growth by adding places of work and bringing foreign currency into Israel in these difficult times. For every 100,000 tourists coming to visit Israel, the country gains $9 million and 4,500 permanent places of employment."
In addition, 260 new immigrants - olim chadashim, in Hebrew - are arriving in Israel today, part of this week's total of 740. Today's new citizens include 165 from Argentina and Uruguay, 50 from the former Soviet Union, 26 from Ethiopia, and ten from England.