The Israeli tourist industry posted 2.6 million hotel overnights in August 2017, 8% more than in August 2016. 730,000, 28% of the total, were foreign tourist overnights, 17% more than in August 2016. Most of the foreign tourist overnights were in Jerusalem (30%) and Tel Aviv (32%), the Israel Hotel Association reports.
Israeli hotel overnights reached 1.8 million in August, 5% more than in the same month last year. Israeli summer overnights (July and August) were about the same as in the corresponding period last year.
The nationwide hotel occupancy rate in August was 70%, 5% higher than in the same month last year, but 3% fewer than in August 2015. Unsurprisingly, the highest occupancy rate was 86% in Eilat, with Tel Aviv (73%), the Dead Sea (71%), Haifa (70%), Netanya (69%), Tiberias (67%), Herzliya (61%), and Jerusalem and Nazareth (55% each) trailing behind.
Israel had 53,000 hotel rooms in August, 2% more than in August 2016 and 5% more than in August 2015.
Hotel overnights in Israel in January-August 2017 totaled 16 million, including 6.8 million foreign tourist overnights, 25% more than in the corresponding period last year. Israeli hotel overnights in January-August 2017 totaled 9.2 million, the same as last year. The average nationwide occupancy rate in this period was 66%, 7% more than the 61% occupancy rate in the corresponding period in 2016.
The Israel Hotel Association stated in response, "Figures for the summer months of July and August show that the decrease in Israel hotel overnights was only 1%, despite the increase in overseas travel following implementation of the open skies policy. Israelis are voting with their feet and going on more vacations, while still having vacations in Israel."
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on September 26, 2017
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2017