Significant increases in tourist traffic were registered from Britain, Germany, the U.S., France, Italy and other countries.
"The ministry's encouragement of charter flights and its overseas marketing campaign are working," Tourism Minister Avraham Hirchson says. But "the rise in tourist numbers would be even more impressive if an 'open skies' policy were implemented."
He was referring to the fact that the Civil Aviation Authority does not allow more airlines to fly more often, explained a Tourism Ministry spokesman. "For instance," he said, "right now, Austrian Airlines is demanding that we allow them more flights to Israel."
According to official statistics from the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Tourism, 91,400 tourists entered Israel from the U.S. in the first three months of this year, a 25% increase over the same period last year. Similar increases were registered for French visitors, who numbered 58,000, and for the 8,100 Korean tourists.
A small increase from Britain was also noted - a 9% jump to 32,600.
Other increases were registered from Germany (22,000 tourists, up 47%), Italy (11,300, up by 42%), and Scandinavia (up by 31% to 10,000). Thanks to the resumption of charter flights and an agreement between the Ministry of Tourism and tourism operator Genesis, the number of tourists from Portugal leaped 114%.
Tourism Minister Abraham Hirchson noted that the increase in tourists to Israel comes in spite of high airfares and a lack of seats.