Jerusalem

Some NIS 35 million (£4.5 million) have been allocated toward an aggressive advertising and marketing campaign that kicked off last September to lure Christians and Jews from all over the world into the country and help the tourism industry recuperate from the crisis it has suffered in the aftermath of the Lebanon war.

Tourism Minister Isaac Herzog said the global ad campaigns are part of an overall campaign that is expected to run through 2007. He said he backed requests by industry leaders to enhance the budget for tourism campaigns, but called on them to refrain from cutting back on the industry’s workforce at this stage.

The marketing campaign, which includes television, radio, internet and newspaper advertisements, is focusing on North America and strategic markets in Europe (Russia, Scandinavia, Italy, England and Germany.

The campaigns are specially-tailored for each specific market and specifically target Jews and Christians. In the UK, for instance, a special emphasis is placed on the link between Jesus and Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).

Herzog is also initiating interviews by various international media outlets to stress the ‘calm that exists along Israel’s northern border.’

Since the end of the war and up until Sukkot 82 delegations of pilgrims and retailers visited the country.

Reproduced with permission: Ynet