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Israelis canceling vacations, airlines slashing ticket prices By Zohar Blumenkrantz and Irit Rosenblum Tags: israel news The continued fighting in the south has kept Israeli tourists at home, and foreign visitors out, exacerbating the already beleaguered incoming tourism industry. As a result, foreign airlines have begun lowering air fares. Brussels Airlines, for instance, has announced a special discount on flight tickets on its Brussels-Ben-Gurion Airport-Brussels route, which are going for just 200 euro inclusive of taxes, instead of 400 euro. Sources in the tourism industry have also expressed concern about the falling number of tourists from Turkey. Advertisement Holiday Lines travel agency say that there has been a natural drop of about 20% in the number of holiday reservations to Anatalia for the coming two weeks, but that longer term travel plans have not been affected. Although industry sources say that the drop is seasonal, affecting winter months, charter flights will nevertheless be suspended early this year, starting this Thursday. Meanwhile, knowledgeable sources warn that pilgrimage tourism to Israel in 2009 will suffer due to prevailing high hotel prices. The national airline of the Republic of Georgia, Air Zena, has canceled four charter flights especially chartered for pilgrims in recent days. "We have been forced to chancel the flights because the leaders of the prayer groups announced that the are unwilling to travel," Air Zena's chief executive said. And there are other problems. "There have been complaints in the past about the high price of plane tickets, due to low capacity. Now the price of charter flights has dropped, and there are enough flights, but the price of ground services has increased 25%-30%," says Sun d'Or airline's CEO Bezalel Karvat. Karvat has called on the Tourism Ministry to "wake up quickly, before the annual conference of Vatican travel agents in Rome in mid-January, where pilgrim travel preferences for 2009 will be decided." Tourism Ministry spokesperson Shira Kaveh says that 2008 was an all-time record year for tourism in Israel, when some 3 million visitors came to the country, up 30% from the year before. This increase has resulted in a rise in the price of flight tickets, services, hotels, tourist attractions, restaurants and travel services. "The Ministry of Tourism is taking steps to address all of these aspects, and offer assistance to groups wishing to visit Israel, to find appropriate solutions." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Fallen hero Relatives mourn Maj. Roey Rosner, 27, killed Wednesday by Gaza militants. On the northern front Hezbollah denies responsibility for two rockets fired at Israel from Lebanon.

Read & React Red Cross: Israel breaking int'l law, letting children starve in Gaza Responses: 114 Two Lebanon rockets hit North; Hezbollah denies involvment Responses: 68 Yossi Melman: Excellent intel on Gaza shows Israel learned from Lebanon errors Responses: 21 Yoav Stern: Rocket fire on North may be realization of Iran threat Responses: 25 Gideon Lichfield: So, why isn't Israel winning the PR war? Responses: 74 More Headlines 23:04 Third IDF soldier killed in Gaza over past 24 hours 22:37 Draft UN Security Council resolution doesn't call for immediate Gaza truce 02:23 Report: Obama ready to talk to Hamas after taking office 02:24 'This country exists because of people like him' 22:35 Israel to present complaint to UN over Lebanon rocket fire 01:24 European Jews to hold rallies supporting Israel's Gaza offensive 22:10 'I pray that he will watch over us, he died a hero' 22:38 At least two Lebanon rockets hit north Israel; Hezbollah denies involvment 02:06 UN: Army admitted school shelling was by mistake 18:20 Get up to the minute coverage of the warfare in Gaza directly to your email 22:05 IDF Chief of Staff Ashkenazi tours Gaza battlefields 23:11 WATCH: Olmert spokesman says Israel never sought war in Gaza 18:12 ANALYSIS / Rocket fire on North may be realization of Iran threat 19:57 UN says halting aid to Gaza, citing danger to staff from IDF 15:01 ANALYSIS / Excellent intel on Gaza shows Israel learned from its errors in Lebanon 19:07 Palestinians: 35 found dead in rubble of Gaza battle zone 17:07 Olmert: IDF has not yet achieved all its goals in Gaza offensive 20:35 WATCH: U.S. Senate voices strong support for Israel's Gaza battle against Hamas 18:53 Sarkozy: Halt to arms smuggling is key to Gaza cease-fire 16:08 Red Cross: Israel breaking int'l law, letting children starve in Gaza 21:49 Iran bans volunteer suicide bombers from traveling to Israel 17:18 Palestinian shot dead after trying to blow up settlement gas station Previous Editions Select Day 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan 05 jan 04 jan 02 jan 01 jan 31 dec 30 dec 29 dec 28 dec 26 dec

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