The statistics reveal almost 93 per cent growth in Indian arrivals to Israel merely in the month of March 2017 as compared to the same time in 2015. “India is an emerging travel market for Israel and we are hopeful of it becoming one of our key markets in the future which is evident in the investments we are making here. We have increased our marketing spends in the region drastically in the last 2 years with an aim to reach out to our target audience in India,” says Madah.
Indian arrival figures to Israel have grown. In 2016 - 44,672; 2015 - 39,529; 2014 - 34,900. From January through March of this year, there is a growth of 49 per cent in the tourist arrivals to Israel from India in the last two years.
Israel is a perfect getaway with pleasant weather year-round and offers something for everyone - be it adventure, history, culture, fashion, nightlife, water activities and beaches too. Israel is a compact country, and most locations are easily accessible within a few hours by road. Apart from visiting the many iconic locations, Indian travellers could experience the various art and cultural festivities, including concerts, which are scheduled all over the country throughout the year. Madah highlights the facilities for business travellers. “Convention centres located all over the country are equipped with state of the art sound and A/V equipment, lighting systems, offer multilingual services and can be adapted for computer presentations. The vibrant, modern and cosmopolitan Tel Aviv is known for her beaches, shopping and nightlife and is also home to many trade shows year round.”
While the holy city of Jerusalem is not only a religious site where one can experience the contrast between old world historical charm and modern city living, but also hosts exhibitions and conferences. The operators will also venture down to the resort city of Eilat on the shores of the Red Sea, with a host of hotels from luxury chains and unique boutiques to Bedouin hospitality, the city offers activities like shopping, scuba diving and the Dolphin Reef all while offering unique sites for conventions and exhibitions.
Jeeping, hiking or biking excursions in Timna National Park, the Red Canyon or Mitzpeh Ramon – the world’s largest natural crater can be enjoyable for MICE activities. For more information on MICE activities in Israel, please visit www.goisrael-conference-and-incentive.com
So how is the hospitality industry shaping up in Israel. “Most global hotel brands like Hilton, IHG and Marriott, have established their properties in all major cities in Israel including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Eilat and in the Dead Sea region. Israel also boasts some local hotel chains that can be found in most cities across the country including Isrotel, DAN Hotels, Fattal Hotels (Leonardo Hotels), and unique housing options like zimmers in the desert or at some wineries, kibbutz hotels and Bedouin hospitality,” adds Madah as Israel recorded 3 million tourist arrivals from all over the world and the largest percentage of tourists comes from the United States followed by France, Russia, UK and Germany. “In Asia, India is the second largest source market for Israel after China. Overall, India ranks in the top 15 source markets for Israel globally,” he says.
On the marketing front, Israel has created a television commercial customized for the Indian market under the slogan “Begin your Journey to Israel now”, showcasing the some of the sites and attractions of Israel. “We also have print and online advertisements running simultaneously with the TVC. The integrated media campaign continues to be aimed at building awareness about Israel and boosting travel. We conducted a three-city roadshow in Chandigarh, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad in February this year and will be conducting more roadshow in addition to independent training sessions in other Indian cities. We also have joint promotions with selected trade partners in India. In additional to this we will continue to conduct familiarisation trips for trade, MICE and media so they can have a first-hand experience of the destination,” adds Madah.
Although, Israel is a new destination for the Indian traveller, the board has been working on increasing destination awareness within the travel trade fraternity as well as direct to consumer to build curiosity and then encouragement to travel to the destination. “Connectivity is another challenge we were facing however this has been addressed with Air India announcing they will commence service between New Delhi and Tel Aviv soon,” Madah concluded.
BW Reporters
Vaishali Dar is a Senior Associate Editor with BW Businessworld and Editorial Head with BW Disrupt. She writes on corporates, start-ups, hospitality and travel
