Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., January 28, 2009 Shvat 3, 5769 | | Israel Time: 02:05 (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 Joy of Giving Travel Week's End Anglo File

Falling foreign tourism hit hotel industry in late 2008 By Irit Rosenblum Tags: Tourism, Israel news Hotel occupancy by foreign tourists was down 13% in the last three months of 2008, even though overall occupancy continued to increase in 2008, rising to 11 million rooms annually in the last quarter of 2008 compared to 9.9 million in the previous quarter. Nevertheless, sinking tourist occupancy left its mark, and the brisk market of 2008 had cooled somewhat by the fourth quarter of the year. Occupancies, which had increased by 3.7% in the third quarter, were up by only 2.9% in the last three months of the year. Israeli hotels saw 21.6 million occupancies in 2008, the highest level since 2000, with tourists accounting for 10.2 million of these, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics report published on Sunday. Room occupancy reached 67% in 2008, up from 62% the year before. All areas of the country saw occupancy of more than 60%, except the north, which enjoyed only 58.6%. Tel Aviv-area hotels, on the other hand, reached 74% occupancy on the average - up just 2.1% from the year before. But the biggest increase compared with 2007 was seen in Jerusalem hotels, which were up 13.9%. Advertisement Half of all hotel rooms occupied by Israelis rather than foreign tourists, were in Eilat, and another 15% were in the Dead Sea area. In fact, three quarters of all rooms occupied by Israeli tourists in 2008 were in the southern area. Most areas saw an increase in the number of hotel rooms occupied by foreign tourists and fewer Israelis compared with 2007. This was especially true of the Jerusalem area, where the number of Israelis occupying hotel rooms was down 16% from the year before. The number of foreign tourists rose most dramatically in the north of the country, up 39%. Tiberias saw an increase of 46% in the number of foreign guests. December 2008 alone saw 1.5 million hotel beds occupied, 41% (623,000) of which were occupied by foreign tourists. The rate of occupancy in December reached 55%. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Holocaust remembrance Host of UN Holocaust memorial skips event after U.S. Jews threaten walk-out. Obama on Arab TV WATCH: In interview with Al-Arabiya Obama urges Palestinians, Israel to talk.

Read & React Obama: Time for Palestinians, Israel to resume peace talks Responses: 83 Miri Eisin: Is only the Israeli narrative 'the truth' and all the others wrong? Responses: 50 Bradley Burston: The Gaza War as reality television Responses: 30 EU aid chief: Hamas 'enormously responsible' for Gaza war Responses: 111 IDF soldier killed, three wounded, in bomb blast on Gaza border Responses: 82 More Headlines 23:40 Father of captive soldier Shalit: Sarkozy assured me Gilad is alive 23:03 Abbas to tell visiting U.S. envoy: Israel does not want peace 01:11 U.S. releases Iranian ship believed to be carrying arms for Gaza 22:04 Olmert: IDF response to deadly Gaza bomb attack still to come 17:56 IAF strikes Gaza after IDF soldier killed near border 19:42 Clinton: Israel has right to respond to Gaza rocket attacks 23:20 Ahmadinejad: Breaking lock on Holocaust box would kill Zionist regime 21:09 'New EU president is a true friend of Israel, a Zionist prince' 01:44 Family keeps name private of IDF tracker slain on Gaza border 00:38 Europe suggests joint PA and Israel transport office 19:11 Obama: Time for Palestinians, Israel to resume peace talks 23:04 Truth, lies and Obama / Contending Israeli parties kick off TV campaigns 19:26 Red Cross: 115 Gazans missing since Operation Cast Lead 16:45 Top Defense Ministry official: Egypt sees Hamas as 'national enemy' 17:40 Obama envoy Mitchell in Cairo on first leg of Mideast tour 14:51 ANALYSIS / Recognizing that Israel's effort to topple Hamas has failed 12:25 Police arrest Jewish teens for allegedly assaulting Arab youth in Galilee 21:45 Council of Jews snubs Berlin Holocaust ceremony, says treated as 'onlookers' in past Previous Editions Select Day 27 jan 26 jan 25 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 19 jan 18 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan

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