The year 2010 broke all the country’s aviation activity records, according to data released Sunday by the Civil Aviation Authority, with a total of 12,160,001 passengers passing through Ben-Gurion Airport on 95,170 international and domestic flights.

This represents an increase of 9.37 percent and 5.54% respectively, over 2009 figures.

Israeli airlines carried more than five million passengers, 43% of all passengers passing through Ben-Gurion Airport, an increase of 10% over 2009.

El Al carried the most passengers of all airlines, flying 3.8 million passengers, nearly a third of all passengers who flew into and out of Israel. The foreign airline that carried the most passengers was Lufthansa, with 450,000, followed by Continental Airlines with 366,000 and Delta with 337,000.

Easy Jet, US Airways and Aegean registered the highest growth among international airlines.

The main destination for takeoffs and landings was Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, with 721,000 passengers, followed by JFK in New York, with 626,000 and Newark in New Jersey with 536,000.

The United States was the country that provided the most traffic into and out of Israel with a total of 1,554,000 passengers (10.6% more than in 2009), followed by Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Russia.

The countries that featured the highest growth in aviation activity with Israel were Malta, Greece, Russia and Ukraine. Turkey, Serbia and Montenegro and Nigeria all experienced double- digit drops in the percentage of travel between the countries.

August was the busiest month at Ben-Gurion, with 1.5 million international passengers passing through on 9,677 flights. February was the weakest month for aviation activity, with 625,000 passengers on 5,300 flights.

October was the busiest month for domestic travel, with 71,766 passengers, and February was the weakest with only 30,809.

Eilat was by far the most popular destination for domestic flights, with 650,881 passengers, making up 96.5% of all domestic travel. The year saw a 52% increase in passengers flying to Eilat over 2009.

The year also saw a boost in cargo transport through Ben-Gurion with a total of 302,903 tons, up 10.4% over 2009.

Source: The Jerusalem Post (http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=204938)

The cruise companies initially announced that the line bringing tourists to Eilat would operate until the end of 2011, but in light of the success of the visits in November 2010, it has been decided to continue running the regular cruise line until 2013. This means that tens of thousands of tourists will visit Eilat over the next three years, each of whom spends an estimated $200 while in the city.

Eilat Port Company CEO Yair Hazan said that “The quality of service [the Eilat Port] gives is expressed in the cruise lines’ decision to continue docking at Eilat. We are talking about an unprecedented wave of visits that will be a great boon for tourism in Israel in general and in the Eilat area in particular.”

According to current projections, by the end of 2013 more than 200 cruise ships are scheduled to dock at Eilat – more than two a week for three years – and each ship carries over 1,000 tourists.

“Since these are vacationers who come to have a good time and not pilgrims, every tourist spends about $200 while in Israel and in Eilat. That is a potential $150-200 million, definitely not insignificant revenue for the businesses and tourist attractions in and around Eilat,” Hazan noted.

“The Eilat Port Company has invested a great deal to ensure that the port can provide the best conditions for tourists and tourist agents. I call on Eilat residents and all the relevant bodies to welcome the tourists and give their stay in Israel a good feeling. It’s important to us, it’s important for Eilat and it’s important for the state of Israel.”

Source: Israeli Diamond (http://www.israelidiamond.co.il/english/News.aspx?boneId=918&objid=8483)

Now, holidaymakers and visitors from Israel and abroad go to Eilat which has loads to offer you with all sorts of hotels, shopping outlets not to mention night clubs, cafes and places to eat. Unsurprisingly, there are a sizeable number of fish restaurants together with others offering Italian, American, Brazilian, Japanese, Israeli, Mexican, French, Chinese, Thai, Korean and Lebanese cuisine.

Eilat also has a tax-free status therefore for Israelis; it is a shopping haven as they will not have to pay VAT at present at 17%. The main shopping mall in Eilat is the Mall Hayam not far from the beach front and has a extensive range of shops.

At nighttime, Eilat comes to life and the Isrotel Wow Latino show is a Latin extravaganza. Wild music, dancers and virtuosos produce an impressive atmosphere with artists engaging in amazing routines. The show is suitable for the whole family and lower rates are offered to Isrotel Hotels’ guests.

Eilat is also on a migration route for large numbers of birds consequently it’s also a terrific place for bird-watchers. The scenery nearly Eilat is dazzling with desert mountains soaring on both sides of the Syrian African Rift Valley.

In the Gulf of Aqaba, the marine life in Eilat is nothing short of remarkable. There is an abundant variety of coral, fish and more, Scuba diving is well-liked with travellers and tourists and for those who are not qualified divers, snorkelling and glass bottomed boat excursions are generally other very good choices for observing the marine world. The Underwater Observatory can take you 6 metres under the sea, making it possible for you to look at the marine life as if you were in the water.

The Dolphin Reef is home to a group of Bottlenose dolphins and travellers can witness these fantastic creatures in their natural surroundings. The dolphins are free to come and interact with divers and snorkellers who arrive at Dolphin Reef to see them. For those who do not want to get into the water, floating piers and vantage points are offered.

Thus with all this and more to give, it is not difficult to witness why Eilat holidays are becoming an increasing number of favourite. With hotels to suit all budgets, your Eilat holiday promises you a true “get away from it all” for the entire family.

The remains of what was once one of the city’s large bustling streets went undiscovered, said archaeologists. Other important buildings on the map have been found over the years, or survived to this day, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where tradition holds that Jesus was crucified.

“At a depth of 4.5 meters below today’s street level, much to our excitement we discovered the large flagstones that paved the street,” Ofer Sion, excavation director for the authority, said in an e-mailed statement.

The excavation, part of a renovation of the area, started three weeks ago and the street was discovered earlier this week, said Authority spokeswoman Yoli Shwartz.

The find will be covered up again once the work is finished, she said in a telephone interview. Also discovered in the excavation were pottery vessels, coins and five small square bronze weights that shopkeepers used for weighing precious metals.

The Madaba Map is a mosaic in a church in Madaba, Jordan that depicted Christian sites in the land of Israel.

Source: Business Week (http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-10/israel-undercovers-ancient-jerusalem-road-in-old-city-update1-.html)

An El Al source says that like every year, the company will focus its efforts on promoting its newest destination. This year its marketing efforts will be directed toward new domestic flights.

Last week Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz gave El Al the go-ahead to run three flights a week between Ben-Gurion International Airport and Eilat airport.

Participants from 35 countries are exhibiting at the IMTM fair yesterday and today, including Japan, Portugal, Russia, Armenia and Estonia, which is participating in the fair for the first time. The exhibition will be open to the public at no charge from 3:00 P.M.

Danny Zimet, vice chairman of the Israel-Turkey Business Council, confirmed that Turkey will also have a booth, which will be dedicated to Istanbul.

“We feel that Istanbul should be a travel destination for Israelis this year, both as a unique city as well as by virtue of the hundreds of cultural and entertainment events to be offered,” Zimet said.

Also operating booths at the fair will be a number of Anatolian clubs which have long attracted Israelis. Tourism from Israel to Turkey plummeted 44% in 2009 due to political spats.

Turkey saw a total of 27 million visitors in 2009, including about a million Iranians. Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay is currently visiting Iran with the aim of strengthening its ties with the country in various areas, including tourism, according to press reports.

Iran and Turkey signed a tourism agreement in 2008, and a number of initiatives aimed at strengthening the agreement will be examined during his visit. Iran and Turkey, Gunay says, share a religion and a cultural heritage, which pose a potential for strengthening their ties, including tourism.

Source: Haaretz.com (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1148796.html)

The Tour d’Israel is designed to feature two riders per team, separated into nine different categories based on age and gender. Daily laps will include between 77 and 112 miles of riding.

tourdisrael3″This is the first time a cycling competition of this scale will take place in Israel,” says Arie Sommer, Tourism Commissioner, North and South America. “The Tour route will provide participants with a one-of-a-kind experience to cycle through Israel’s vast and diverse landscape.”

Israeli national cycling champion Avihay Grinberg will participate in the inaugural Tour d’Israel ceremony on March 17th.

For more information, visit www.tourtheisrael.com

For more information on travel to Israel, visit www.goisrael.com

Source: Travel Video News (http://www.travelvideo.tv/news/israel/01-25-2010/first-ever-tour-disrael-attracts-athletes-to-cycle-through-israel)

At the most southerly part of Israel lies the seaside resort Eilat. This tiny stretch of the Israel coastline is sandwiched between Taba in Egypt to the west and Aqaba in Jordan to the east. In its early days, Eilat was officially recognised as a town in 1959 with a population of 6,000. 50 years later, the population had increased to 55,000 and it was firmly established on the tourist map.

Today, visitors from Israel and abroad flock to Eilat which has plenty of offer with a range of hotels, shopping outlets as well as bars, cafes and restaurants. Not surprisingly, there are a large number of fish restaurants as well as others offering Italian, American, Brazilian, Japanese, Israeli, Mexican, French, Chinese, Thai, Korean and Lebanese cuisine.

Eilat also has a tax-free status so for Israelis; it is a shopping haven as they don’t have to pay VAT currently at 17%. The main shopping mall in Eilat is the Mall Hayam not far from the beach front and has a wide range of shops.

At night time, Eilat comes to life and the Isrotel Wow Latino show is a Latin extravaganza. Wild music, dancers and virtuosos produce an electrifying atmosphere with artists performing breathtaking routines. The show is suitable for all the family and reduced rates are available for Isrotel Hotels’ guests.

Eilat is also on a migration route for millions of birds so it is also a fantastic destination for bird-watchers. The scenery around Eilat is stunning with desert mountains rising on either side of the Syrian African Rift Valley.

In the water, the marine life in Eilat is nothing short of spectacular. There is a rich variety of coral, fish and more, Scuba diving is popular with visitors and for those who are not certified divers, snorkelling and glass bottomed boat trips are other good options for viewing the underwater world. The Underwater Observatory takes you 6m under the sea, allowing you to view the marine life as if you were in the ocean.

The Dolphin Reef is home to a group of Bottlenose dolphins and visitors can see these amazing creatures in their natural environment. The dolphins are free to come and interact with divers and snorkellers who come to Dolphin Reef to observe them. For those who don’t want to get into the water, floating piers and observation points are available.

So with all this and more to offer, it is easy to see why Eilat holidays are becoming more and more popular. With hotels to suit all budgets, your Eilat holiday promises you a true “get away from it all” for the whole family.

The two have recently devised a plan to build 16 new golf courses across Israel. Construction will span 15 years and the project is estimated at NIS 760 million – roughly $200 million. Investing the golf courses may result in a 20% increase in hotel occupancy and the average amount of money spent by tourists visiting Israel may double form $1,000 to $2,000.

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov said that encouraging golf tourism would, in turn, encourage local and foreign investments. Misezhnikov predicts thousands of golf aficionados will visit Israel every year, which will help it compete against other Mediterranean Basin nations which have established themselves as local golf attractions.

Annual golf tourism revenues in Europe, the Middle East and Africa come to $2.7 billion. Tourism Ministry and Israel Land Administration officials will be scouting for potential sites over the next few months. Initial plans include constructing golf courses in Eilat and the Dead Sea in the south, Tiberias and Hatzor HaGlilit in the north and Savyon and Rishon Lezion in central Israel.

Source: Ynet News (http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3826854,00.html)