November is generally considered a weak month for hotel stays in Israel by Israelis, and an opportunity for business travelers. Figures for November 2016 from the Israel Hotels Association indeed indicate a substantial rise in overnights by overseas residents in hotels in Israel. The numbers are back to 2013 levels.
Overnights by tourists in November totaled some 970,000, 38% more than in November 2015, 23% more than in November 2014, and unchanged from November 2013, a period described as "normal", that is, not affected by war. Hotel overnights by Israelis last month totaled 891,000, 7% more than in November 2015. Total overnights were 1.86 million in November 2016, 21% more than in November 2015.
Room occupancy was 71% in November this year, 20% higher than in November 2015, 14% higher than in November 2014, and unchanged from November 2013. A particularly high occupancy rate was recorded in Tel Aviv, at 83%, and the Dead Sea, at 77%.
256,000 hotel overnights were recorded in West Jerusalem in November 2016; 218.000 in Tel Aviv; 118,000 in Tiberias and around the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee); 50,000 at hotels on the Dead Sea; 33,000 in Netanya; and 102,000 in Eilat, where numbers were up 70% on November 2015.
For the eleven months January to November 2016, 20.4 million hotel overnights were recorded in Israel, 7.8 by overseas tourists and 12.6 million by Israelis. The average room occupancy rate for the period was 63%.
Israel Hotels Association CEO Noaz Bar-Nir said, "The handsome growth in the number of tourists entering Israel in November also had its effect on hotel overnight stays, bringing them back to the levels of 2013, the year before Operation Protective Edge. Let us hope that the trend of improvement in incoming tourism continues, with the unprecedented marketing budget of the Ministry of Tourism (NIS 404 million annually for 2017 and 2018)."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 26, 2016
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