Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., December 17, 2008 Kislev 20, 5769 | | Israel Time: 06:09 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

French tourists on Tel Aviv beach (Tomer Appelbaum) Last update - 00:00 21/08/2008 The Russians are coming! (Even more than the French) By Irit Rosenblum Tags: France, Russia tourism  Between January and July 2008, Russians tourists to Israel outnumbered the French, topping the list of European nationalities that have visited the country this year. Figures from the Tourism Ministry indicate that a total of 1.7 million tourists visited Israel between January and July of 2008, compared to 1.2 million in the same period in 2007, a rise of 41%. Of these, Israel hosted 170,000 tourists from Russia, 151,000 from France, 108,000 from Great Britain and 80,000 visitors from Germany. Over the same seven months last year, 137,000 French tourists entered Israel, 95,000 visited from the U.K., 77,000 from Russia and 56,000 from Germany. Advertisement About 388,000 travelers from the United States have arrived in the country over the first seven months of the year, compared to 321,000 in the same period last year, an increase of 21%. However, these figures also include 243,000 tourists who came to Israel for just one day, with no overnight stay, which is the vast majority of these from Eastern Europe. Starting in October, Russian visitors will no longer be required to arrive with a visa, and the Tourism Ministry estimates the change in regulations will push the number of visiting Russian nationals up to 400,000 annually from 2009. The ministry's marketing for 2008 included a tripling of its earmarked budget for Russian tourism, to about $3 million. Travel agents and hotels have followed suit and increased their efforts to attract Russian tourists. Bookmark to del.icio.us   The Eilat bus crash At least 24 Russian tour guides were killed in one of Israel's worst road accidents. Setting it straight Livni: Syria peace must involve more than just eating hummus in Damascus.   1.   You can be proud... 18:47  |  cp 21/08/08   2.   Russians Not Welcome ... 23:51  |  Jacob 21/08/08   3.   Russian tourists 09:33  |  Reemster 22/08/08   4.   Stop free visa travel with non-democratic country. 10:05  |  Vital 22/08/08   5.   To Vital 12:08  |  Sarah 22/08/08   6.   If russian tourists are anything like israeli tourists... 16:35  |  Buick from Boca 22/08/08   7.   Good news! 17:21  |  Jonas 22/08/08   8.   Natural ally. 01:45  |  philtlucre 23/08/08   9.   Russian are not Europeans, they`re Asians 08:00  |  L A 23/08/08   10.   russian tourists 10:57  |  gypsy queen 23/08/08   11.   The Russians are coming to Israel 18:30  |  Hank 23/08/08   12.   To Vital 23:30  |  Oded 23/08/08   13.   to #9 yes they`re European 03:53  |  Northern 25/08/08   14.   to no 13 Northern 04:59  |  Lilith 27/08/08   15.   To #14 12:09  |  Right 27/08/08   16.   #5 - You have no clue 15:15  |  5th generation 29/08/08   17.   Russians are Americans 02:27  |  Gene 10/09/08   18.   German, English tourists in Spain 00:56  |  sWeis Melbourne 17/12/08   19.   Dead sea unique in the world 03:56  |  sWeis Melbourne 17/12/08

Read & React Bradley Burston / The Madoff betrayal: Life imitates anti-Semitism Responses: 60 Adam Keller: Boycott of settlements' industries is taking its toll Responses: 91 Akiva Eldar: Democracy in West Bank? Not if it's up to Israel Responses: 22 UN human rights commissioner: Israel should attend Durban anti-racism summit Responses: 22 Agreement in Hamas: Cease-fire to end Friday Responses: 48 More Headlines 04:02 Mofaz: Eilat crash due to thuggery of two drivers 01:59 'I awoke and saw everyone was down on the ground around me' 04:09 Two planes with relatives, medical crews due to arrive from Russia 04:19 Death trap / Even athletes know: Don't run down there 04:28 Jurists tell Barak: Don't shell Gaza population centers 04:37 Israeli diplomat: No more talks with Syria at this time 03:40 U.S. Jews ponder 'catastrophic' effects of Bernard Madoff affair 04:47 Low turnout likely as Kadima holds its first-ever primary 14:03 Bradley Burston / The Madoff betrayal: Life imitates anti-Semitism 04:56 Eritrean asylum seekers protest outside Defense Min. 05:15 Haaretz reporter barred for criticism 8 years ago 05:22 Kidnapping that gripped a nation to become movie 05:30 U.S. 'Lord of the Flies'-based reality show to air in Israel 05:31 Nazi hunters give U.S. Holocaust Museum trial documents Previous Editions Select Day 16 dec 15 dec 14 dec 12 dec 11 dec 10 dec 09 dec 08 dec 07 dec 05 dec 04 dec 03 dec

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