A PROFILE OF THE TOURIST IN ISRAEL AND HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE ISRAELI ECONOMY ACCORDING TO THE 2011 INBOUND TOURISM SURVEY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FACTOR IN A DECISION TO VISIT ISRAEL THE AVERAGE SPENDING FOR A TOURIST IN ISRAEL: $1,497

Minister of Tourism, Stas Misezhnikov: “These statistics strengthen the basic assumption behind the new campaign “Invite a Friend”, in which friends and family are the main factor in deciding on a visit to Israel. Everyone
can be part of this effort to bring tourists to Israel and thereby contribute to the economy, job creation and Israel’s image in the world.”

The recently-published 2011 Inbound Tourism Survey reveals new statistics related to the characteristics of incoming tourists to Israel. The survey was carried out by the Tourism Ministry among 25,000 families(representing about 42,000 people) and is a representative sample of the survey population.

Purpose of Visit: There has been an increase of 10% in the numbers of tourists coming to Israel for touring and sightseeing over 2010. The average length of time for a tourist to stay in Israel (among those staying for up
to 30 days) is 8.2 nights, a slight increase on last year. Most tourists stay in hotels or vacation resorts (71%), and this accounts for the majority of their outlay in the country.

Segmentation by religious affiliation: Over half of the tourists visiting Israel are Christian (58%) and only 25% are Jewish. 1% are Moslem. 52% of all Christians are Catholic and 21% are Protestants. There is a high proportion of Christian tourists arriving from Nigeria, Poland, Portugal and Italy, and Jewish tourists from France, Argentina, Belgium and England. Income and average expenditure: 68% of tourists arriving in Israel are of average income level, with 31% reporting an above average income and 1% below the average income. The average expenditure for a tourist in Israel (among those staying for up to 30 days) is $1,497; for a one day visitor $142 and for a tourist arriving on a cruise ship $230. The average expenditure for a tourist on an organized tour is $1,725; for a tourist on a package deal $1,539 and for a tourist traveling independently (FIT) $1,257.Recommendations and source of information: In answer to the question what is the most influential factor in your decision to visit Israel, 49% answered family and friends and 20% attributed this to the travel agent. 39% noted that the travel agent was the main source of information about Israel, while 27% attributed this to the internet.

Return visitors: 61% of those tourists visiting Israel in 2011 were on their first visit to the country, with 39% on a return visit. Most of the returning visitors are Jewish (82%) who come to visit friends and family (80%). Most of the visitors from Nigeria were on their first visit to Israel (95%), from Poland (92%), from Portugal (91%) and from Japan (88%)Age: Most of the tourists arriving in Israel are between the ages of 25-44 (41%), with 12% of all tourists from the younger age groups. 22% of all tourists are aged 55 and over, particularly those arriving from Portugal and Austria or those arriving for pilgrimage purposes.

Minister of Tourism, Stas Misezhnikov: “These statistics strengthen the basic assumption behind the new campaign “Invite a Friend”, in which friends and family are the main factor in deciding on a visit to Israel. Everyone
can be part of this effort to bring tourists to Israel and thereby contribute to the economy, job creation and Israel’s image in the world."