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TechnoratiThe Israeli Ministry of Tourism has launched a NIS 26 million (USD $6.4 million) advertising campaign that aims to present Israel as a safe destination for tourists following the nation’s deadly three-week offense against Hamas militants in Gaza.
According to the Haaretz, Israel’s oldest daily newspaper, the first stage of the campaign, which launched last week, is targeting Germany, Russia, Italy and France. Additional stages are planned that will target countries including Canada, Great Britain, and the United States.
The ministry is already running an active campaign to recruit tourists from South Korea, Poland, Brazil and China.
"Without an approved annual budget and a significant increase in our budget, it will be impossible to duplicate the high tourist numbers that Israel recorded in 2008," said Tourism Minister Ruhama Avraham-Balila, according to the Haaretz.
Over the past two years, Israel has reportedly witnessed record-breaking tourism numbers, and set a new record for tourists from the United States in 2008. A notable proportion of the success has been attributed to the support of U.S. Christians, who are arguably Israel’s strongest and most vocal supporters in the world. According to statistics, American evangelicals make up one-third of American tourists that visit Israel, second only to American Jews.
"We truly value and appreciate the faithfulness our Christian friends have shown us through the years, especially with their many visits to Israel," commented Shaul Zemach, director-general of the Ministry of Tourism in Jerusalem, in a statement released Tuesday.
To overcome the negative effects on incoming tourism of the global economic crisis and the recent fighting in the Gaza Strip that left more than 1,300 dead, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism is expected to continue reaching out to U.S. Christian leaders in churches, ministries, and the media as part of its "Visit Israel - You'll Never Be the Same" ad campaign, which has so far produced record Christian response.
This weekend, Zemach will be part of a special delegation representing the Israel Ministry of Tourism at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) 2009 Convention in Nashville, Tenn., where thousands of Christians in the communications and media field will gather to network, strategize, and get up to speed on the latest advances in Christian radio, television and internet media.
"We are once again honored to be a part of NRB this year and to have the opportunity to express our gratitude for this unwavering support,” Zemach said.
This year’s NRB Convention will be held Feb. 7-10 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville. Speakers include Anne Graham Lotz, John McArthur, and Charles Stanley, among many others.
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