Tourism in Israel: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎External links: readd new interwiki
if you have an actual objection spell it out on the talk page
Line 10: Line 10:
;[[Jerusalem]]:
;[[Jerusalem]]:
* The capital and largest city of [[Israel]], it also attracts the most foreign tourists. The holiest city in [[Judaism]], the ancient capital of the [[United Monarchy]] and then of the [[Kingdom of Judah]]. The site of the [[Temple in Jerusalem|Temples in Jerusalem]]. See [[Western Wall]].
* The capital and largest city of [[Israel]], it also attracts the most foreign tourists. The holiest city in [[Judaism]], the ancient capital of the [[United Monarchy]] and then of the [[Kingdom of Judah]]. The site of the [[Temple in Jerusalem|Temples in Jerusalem]]. See [[Western Wall]].
⚫
* The four quarters of the [[Old City of Jerusalem|Old City]]: [[Muslim Quarter]], [[Christian Quarter]], [[Armenian Quarter]], [[Jewish Quarter]].
⚫
* The site of some of [[Jesus]]'s teaching and [[entombment]]; Christians believe he was [[crucified]] on a nearby hill, [[Golgotha]].
⚫
* ([[Islam]]). [[Dome of the Rock]], [[Al-Aqsa Mosque]]
* [[City of David]], including [[Hezekiah's Tunnel]]
* [[City of David]], including [[Hezekiah's Tunnel]]
*[[Yad Vashem]] holocaust memorial museum
*[[Yad Vashem]] holocaust memorial museum
⚫
*The [[Mount of Olives]] which includes gethsemane, church of all nations, Russian orthodox church, Mt. of Olives lookout point, Dominus Flevit, the pillar of absalom and a 2000 year old Jewish cemetery.
⚫
*[[East Jerusalem]], conquered by Israel from Jordan in 1967, has since then been under the law, jurisdiction, and administration of Israel.<ref>''Law and Administration Ordinance (Amendment No. 11) Law, 1967'' and ''Law and Administration Order (No. 1)'' of 28 June 1967.</ref> It was recognized by some in the international community in 1990 as [[Palestinian territories|Palestinian territory]] held by Israel in a state of [[Israeli-occupied territories|military occupation]], while others such as the U.S. Senate and Congress (in the 1995 [[Jerusalem Embassy Act]]) took a contrary view.<ref name=roberts_occupied>{{Citation|last=Roberts|first=Adam|author-link=Adam Roberts (scholar)|title=Prolonged Military Occupation: The Israeli-Occupied Territories Since 1967|journal=The American Journal of International Law|volume=84|issue=1|year=1990|pages= 44–103|publisher=American Society of International Law|doi=10.2307/2203016|url=http://jstor.org/stable/2203016|page=60|quote=Although East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights have been brought directly under Israeli law, by acts that amount to annexation, both of these areas continue to be viewed by the international community as occupied, and their status as regards the applicability of international rules is in most respects identical to that of the West Bank and Gaza.}}</ref><ref name=Lacey>Lacey, Ian, ed. [http://www.aijac.org.au/resources/reports/international_law.pdf International Law and the Arab-Israeli Conflict] (pdf) – Extracts from ''Israel and Palestine - Assault on the Law of Nations'' by [[Julius Stone]], Second Edition with additional material and commentary updated to 2003, [[AIJAC]] website. Retrieved June 28, 2007. See also Yehuda Z. Blum, ''The Juridical status of Jerusalem'' (Jerusalem, The Leonard Davis Institute for International Relations, 1974); id., "The missing Reversioner: Reflections on the Status of Judea and Samaria", 3 Israel Law Review (1968), pp. 279–301.</ref>
* [[List of places in Jerusalem]]
* [[List of places in Jerusalem]]
;[[East Jerusalem]]:
⚫
* Captured by Israel from Jordan in 1967, has since then been under the law, jurisdiction, and administration of Israel.<ref>''Law and Administration Ordinance (Amendment No. 11) Law, 1967'' and ''Law and Administration Order (No. 1)'' of 28 June 1967.</ref> It is recognized by the international community as [[Palestinian territories|Palestinian territory]] held by Israel in a state of [[Israeli-occupied territories|military occupation]].<ref name=roberts_occupied>{{Citation|last=Roberts|first=Adam|author-link=Adam Roberts (scholar)|title=Prolonged Military Occupation: The Israeli-Occupied Territories Since 1967|journal=The American Journal of International Law|volume=84|issue=1|year=1990|pages= 44–103|publisher=American Society of International Law|doi=10.2307/2203016|url=http://jstor.org/stable/2203016|page=60|quote=Although East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights have been brought directly under Israeli law, by acts that amount to annexation, both of these areas continue to be viewed by the international community as occupied, and their status as regards the applicability of international rules is in most respects identical to that of the West Bank and Gaza.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories: report of the director-general|author=International Labour Office|publisher=Boydell & Brewer|year=2009|isbn=9789221206309|quote=Under international law, East Jerusalem is an occupied territory. East Jerusalem was annexed by the State of Israel in June 1967. The international community has consistently denounced Israeli attempts to change the status of the city.}}</ref>
⚫
* The four quarters of the [[Old City of Jerusalem|Old City]]: [[Muslim Quarter]], [[Christian Quarter]], [[Armenian Quarter]], [[Jewish Quarter]].
⚫
* The [[Mount of Olives]] which includes gethsemane, church of all nations, Russian orthodox church, Mt. of Olives lookout point, Dominus Flevit, the pillar of absalom and a 2000 year old Jewish cemetery.
⚫
* The site of some of [[Jesus]]'s teaching and [[entombment]]; Christians believe he was [[crucified]] on a nearby hill, [[Golgotha]].
⚫
* [[Islam]]ic sites such as the [[Dome of the Rock]] and [[Al-Aqsa Mosque]]

[[File:Tel Aviv aerial.jpg|thumb|Tel Aviv]]
[[File:Tel Aviv aerial.jpg|thumb|Tel Aviv]]
;[[Tel Aviv]]
;[[Tel Aviv]]
Line 43: Line 45:
* A Roman [[Decapolis]] city. One of the largest [[archaeological]] sites in the Middle East.
* A Roman [[Decapolis]] city. One of the largest [[archaeological]] sites in the Middle East.


;[[Bethlehem]]
;[[West Bank]]
* Captured by Israel from Jordan in 1967. Recognized by the international community as Palestinian territory held by Israel in a state of military occupation.<ref>{{cite book|title=International assistance to the Palestinians after Oslo: political guilt, wasted money|series=Routledge studies on the Arab-Israeli conflict|volume=1|last=Le More|first=Anne|publisher=Routledge|year=2008|isbn=9780415453851|quote=Israel has de facto been occupying the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, but has consistently rehected the ''de jure'' applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention to the oPt. There is, however, an international consensus that international humanitarian law (IHL) applies. The position of all other High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the UN (through its various bodies, in particular the General Assembly, Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the Commision Human Rights) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is that the Geneva Conventions are applicable ''de jure'' to the oPt, including East Jerusalem.}}</ref>
* Burial place of the matriarch [[Rachel]] and birthplace of [[King David]].
*[[Bethlehem]] - Burial place of the matriarch [[Rachel]] and birthplace of [[King David]]. Birthplace of Jesus.
* Birthplace of Jesus
⚫
*[[Hebron]] - The second-holiest city in Judaism and the place where the [[Tomb of the Patriarchs|Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs]] is located. According to Jewish tradition, this is the burial place of the great patriarchs ([[Abraham]], [[Isaac]], and [[Jacob]]) and matriarchs ([[Sarah]], [[Rebecca]], and [[Leah]]). The capital of the Kingdom of Israel before [[David]] moved it to Jerusalem.
Note: Bethlehem is in [[Administrative divisions of the Oslo Accords|Area 'A']] under the control of the Palestinian Authority. Visitors from Israel will pass through a checkpoint and are required to show their passports. Israelis are forbidden entry to Area 'A' without explicit army approval.
**Note: Bethlehem and most of Hebron are in [[Administrative divisions of the Oslo Accords|Area 'A']] under the control of the Palestinian Authority. There is a small area within Hebron where Israeli citizens are permitted to live jointly with Palestinians. Visitors from Israel will pass through a checkpoint and may be required to show their passports. Israelis are forbidden entry to Area 'A' without explicit army approval.

;[[Hebron]]
⚫
* The second-holiest city in Judaism and the place where the [[Tomb of the Patriarchs|Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs]] is located. According to Jewish tradition, this is the burial place of the great patriarchs ([[Abraham]], [[Isaac]], and [[Jacob]]) and matriarchs ([[Sarah]], [[Rebecca]], and [[Leah]]). The capital of the Kingdom of Israel before [[David]] moved it to Jerusalem.
Note: Most of Hebron is zoned [[Administrative divisions of the Oslo Accords|Area 'A']] under the control of the Palestinian Authority, except for a small area where Israeli citizens are permitted to live jointly with Palestinians. Visitors from Israel will pass through a checkpoint and may be required to show their passports. Israelis are forbidden entry to Area 'A' without explicit army approval.


;[[Golan Heights]]
;[[Golan Heights]]
⚫
*Captured from Syria in 1967. Under Israel's 1981 [[Golan Heights Law]], it is subject to [[Israeli law]] and administration.<ref name = "MFA Law">[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace+Process/Guide+to+the+Peace+Process/Golan+Heights+Law.htm Golan Heights Law], MFA.</ref> That move was condemned by [[United Nations Security Council]] [[UN Security Council Resolution 497|resolution 497]] as "null and void".<ref name="UN Security Council Resolution 497">[http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/SC497.pdf UN Security Council Resolution 497]</ref> The international community views it as [[Syria|Syrian territory]] held by Israel in a state of military occupation.<ref name=roberts_occupied />
* [[Hermon]] mountain. [[Ski]]ing and [[snowboard]]ing during the winter (see: [[Mount Hermon ski resort]]).
* [[Hermon]] mountain. [[Ski]]ing and [[snowboard]]ing during the winter (see: [[Mount Hermon ski resort]]).
* Archaeology in [[Katzrin]], [[Gamla]], [[Nimrod Fortress]], [[Gilgal Refaim]]
* Archaeology in [[Katzrin]], [[Gamla]], [[Nimrod Fortress]], [[Gilgal Refaim]]
⚫
*Under Israel's 1981 [[Golan Heights Law]], it is subject to [[Israeli law]] and administration.<ref name = "MFA Law">[http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace+Process/Guide+to+the+Peace+Process/Golan+Heights+Law.htm Golan Heights Law], MFA.</ref> That was condemned by [[United Nations Security Council]] [[UN Security Council Resolution 497|resolution 497]].<ref name="UN Security Council Resolution 497">[http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/SC497.pdf UN Security Council Resolution 497]</ref><!-- Comment --> Most in the international community have viewed it as [[Syria|Syrian territory]] held by Israel in military occupation.<ref name=roberts_occupied />


;[[Masada]]
;[[Masada]]

Revision as of 22:44, 19 June 2010

Tourism in Israel is one of the country's major sources of income. Israels offer a plethora of historical and religious sites, beach resorts, archaeological tourism, heritage tourism and ecotourism. Israel and the Palestinian territories has the highest number of museums per capita in the world. The most popular paid site is Masada.[1] The largest groups of tourists visit from the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom and Germany.[2] Over 2.7 million foreign tourists visited Israel in 2009.[3]

Historical, religious and cultural sites

Russian Orthodox Church, Jerusalem
Jaffa Gate
The Arab market in the Old City of Jerusalem
Jerusalem
East Jerusalem
File:Tel Aviv aerial.jpg
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Safed
Acre
Haifa
Tiberias
Nazareth
  • Jesus's hometown and the site of many of his acts and miracles.
  • Starting point for the Jesus Trail, a network of hiking routes connecting many sites from Jesus's life and ministry.
Bet She'an
West Bank
  • Captured by Israel from Jordan in 1967. Recognized by the international community as Palestinian territory held by Israel in a state of military occupation.[7]
  • Bethlehem - Burial place of the matriarch Rachel and birthplace of King David. Birthplace of Jesus.
  • Hebron - The second-holiest city in Judaism and the place where the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs is located. According to Jewish tradition, this is the burial place of the great patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and matriarchs (Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah). The capital of the Kingdom of Israel before David moved it to Jerusalem.
    • Note: Bethlehem and most of Hebron are in Area 'A' under the control of the Palestinian Authority. There is a small area within Hebron where Israeli citizens are permitted to live jointly with Palestinians. Visitors from Israel will pass through a checkpoint and may be required to show their passports. Israelis are forbidden entry to Area 'A' without explicit army approval.
Golan Heights
Masada
  • Masada became famous for its significance in the First Jewish-Roman War (Great Jewish Revolt), when a siege of the fortress by troops of the Roman Empire led to a mass suicide of the site's Jewish defenders when defeat became imminent.
Beersheba
Eilat
  • The southernmost city in Israel, on the Red Sea coast, it is a hot, sunny year-round travel destination. Popular destination for skin and SCUBA diving, with equipment for hire on or near all major beaches.
Kibbutzim
  • A network of once socialist communes which dot the countryside. They are undergoing a process of modernization and re-organization. Well known in Israel for great contributions to Israeli history, politics, army, and Zionism.
Caesarea
  • The old city includes Roman and Crusader ruins, such as the amphitheatre (where concerts are frequently held), as well as the harbor from which St. Paul was taken as a prisoner to Rome.
  • The grassy golf club and villas are newly developed in this coastal city, which has become increasing popular to tourists.
Ein Gedi
  • Desert spring. It is a starting point for tours in Masada as well as the Dead Sea.
Tzippori
  • A Roman town exhibiting elaborate mosaics and a historic Synagogue.
Beit Guvrin-Maresha
  • A large archaeological complex in the Judean Mountains.
Biblical Tells
  • There several Iron Age mounds spread throughout the country. Three of them Tel Be'er Sheva, Tel Hazor and Tel Megiddo (the site of Armageddon) were recognized as Unesco world heritage sites . They exhibit elaborate water systems that are among the earliest in the world.

Seas and lakes

Mediterranean coastal strip
  • Sunny beaches and hotel resorts
The Dead Sea
  • The lowest point on the Earth's surface and the deepest hypersaline lake in the world, famous for its buoyancy and medicinal qualities
Red Sea
  • Sunny beaches and hotel resorts
Sea of Galilee

Economic impact

Tourism is a leading industry in Israel. In 2008, it constituted 4.7% of the country's GDP.[10]

The Ernst & Young Report

In 2005, Ernst & Young conducted the deepest research that was ever made on the Israeli tourism. The Ministry of Tourism of Israel ordered the research in order to make a revolution in this market. The official subject was "A New Market Strategy for Israeli Tourism" and the result was publicized in November 2006.

The report noted that in 2005, Israel received a total of 1.9 million international visitors and opined that a realistic target is to double the number of international tourists until 2011, to 4–5 million visitors.

It stated that "the absolutely most attractive feature Israel has for the international markets is its "religious culture and history""[11] as well as "the great diversity/variety within a very small country". The variety it referred is about the different cultures and religions, the very different landscapes from Mount Hermon (located on the Golan Heights to the Negev desert), different cities (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv), the mix of European and Arabic world, etc. The report pointed out thet "All this leads to a very high density of experience". In the general summary of the report, it is said that "If Jerusalem was not in Israel, it could have been a much more popular destination than Rome or any other destination. That's why the main target of the Israeli Hasbara and advertising, according to Ernst & Young, is to brand Israel as a normative place.

Most visited sites

The two most visited sites in Israel are the Western Wall and the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.[12]The top paid sites of 2008 were listed by Dun & Bradstreet Israel as opposed to the above sites which offer free entry.[1] Another popular free site not listed in the survey is the Bahai Gardens in Haifa.

Listing Site Visitors
3 Masada 721,915
5 Caesarea 713,648
1 Jerusalem Biblical Zoo 687,647
4 Zoological Center of Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan 581,800
2 Hamat Gader 500,000
6 Coral World Underwater Observatory in Eilat 458,000
7 Banias 430,531
8 Yamit 2000 in Holon 412,533
9 Luna Park in Tel Aviv 400,000
10 Qumran 389,291

The top paid sites of 2005 were listed by Dun & Bradstreet Israel. [13]

Listing Site Visitors
1 Jerusalem Biblical Zoo
2 Hamat Gader 550 000
3 Masada 495 000
4 Zoological Center of Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan
5 Caesarea 440 000
6 Coral World Underwater Observatory in Eilat 416 000
7 Mini Israel 408 000
8 Balagan Yagur near Yagur
9 Mount Hermon 350,000
10 Luna Gal on shores of Sea of Gallilee

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Masada tourists' favorite spot in Israel". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2009-04-08.
  2. ^ Tourism statistics
  3. ^ "Israel Welcomed 2.7 Million Tourists in 2009". Travel Pulse. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
  4. ^ Law and Administration Ordinance (Amendment No. 11) Law, 1967 and Law and Administration Order (No. 1) of 28 June 1967.
  5. ^ a b Roberts, Adam (1990), "Prolonged Military Occupation: The Israeli-Occupied Territories Since 1967", The American Journal of International Law, 84 (1), American Society of International Law: 60, doi:10.2307/2203016, Although East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights have been brought directly under Israeli law, by acts that amount to annexation, both of these areas continue to be viewed by the international community as occupied, and their status as regards the applicability of international rules is in most respects identical to that of the West Bank and Gaza. {{citation}}: More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)
  6. ^ International Labour Office (2009). The situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories: report of the director-general. Boydell & Brewer. ISBN 9789221206309. Under international law, East Jerusalem is an occupied territory. East Jerusalem was annexed by the State of Israel in June 1967. The international community has consistently denounced Israeli attempts to change the status of the city.
  7. ^ Le More, Anne (2008). International assistance to the Palestinians after Oslo: political guilt, wasted money. Routledge studies on the Arab-Israeli conflict. Vol. 1. Routledge. ISBN 9780415453851. Israel has de facto been occupying the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, but has consistently rehected the de jure applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention to the oPt. There is, however, an international consensus that international humanitarian law (IHL) applies. The position of all other High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the UN (through its various bodies, in particular the General Assembly, Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the Commision Human Rights) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is that the Geneva Conventions are applicable de jure to the oPt, including East Jerusalem.
  8. ^ Golan Heights Law, MFA.
  9. ^ UN Security Council Resolution 497
  10. ^ "20,000 Tourism Workers May Lose Jobs". Ynetnews. December 24, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
  11. ^ http://www.tourism.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/DA41633B-99F1-483B-AEC0-674C861DC94F/2815/IntlMarketsandGrowthPotential.ppt#23
  12. ^ "For first time, religious sites to get state budget of NIS 6.3M". HaAretz. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  13. ^ Tal, Dalia (2006-03-08). "Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem – Most popular tourist site in 2005". Globes. p. 12.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: postscript (link)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Israel.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tourism_in_Israel&oldid=369078877"