Israel lays out welcome mat

RON FRIEDMAN

The Addison Travel Trade Show was in Vancouver last week and in between banners calling on you to "Explore Beyond the Shore" in Puerto Rico, "Visit New Mexico, Land of Enchantment" and "Discover Incredible India," was a poster promising that "You'll love Israel from the first 'Shalom.'"

At a booth close to the buffet, Oded Grofman was handing out pamphlets and talking to travel agents, doing his best to promote Israel as a holiday destination. Grofman is the Israeli tourism consul to Canada. He works out of an office in the Toronto consulate and, as the representative of the Israel Government Tourist Office (IGTO), his job is to convince Canadians to come and visit Israel.

Judging by the statistics he presented, it seems that he and his team are doing a good job. While 2007 was a record-breaking year, with more than 60,000 Canadians visiting Israel, 2008 is looking to surpass it with a 30 per cent increase relative to the same time last year. In the first six months of 2008, more than 35,000 Canadians tourists entered Israel. "We count only those who enter the country with a Canadian passport. This means Canadians who have Israeli citizenship or those that enter with a foreign passport aren't included in the total," said Grofman.

Canadian tourists are a lucrative market. "The average tourist spends 10 days in Israel and spends $3,000 while there. Multiply that by 60,000 and it adds up to nearly 200 million dollars that go into the Israeli economy in a year," said Grofman. Tourists also help Israel's image abroad: "There's nothing like seeing things with your own eyes," said Grofman. "Tourists leave the country as ambassadors of goodwill."

The IGTO focuses its operations in Canada towards two major demographics – Jews and Christians – and each requires a different marketing approach. While Jewish tourists are relatively familiar with the product and many of them are returning visitors with family or other ties in Israel, attracting the Christian sector demands ongoing efforts to raise awareness and present attractions to draw in tourists.

The slogan for the Christian campaign is "Visit Israel – You'll never be the same," and much of the advertising speaks to a spiritual transformation that occurs upon visiting the country. "In our work with Christians, especially with evangelicals, we try to publish recommendations by pastors and church leaders," said Grofman. Most of the Christian tourists who come to Israel are part of organized tours.

Religious tours and pilgrimages aren't the only ones though. Today, organized tours to Israel are commonly geared toward specific themes or activities. "Israel is so small that travel isn't limited to a certain region or part of the country," said Grofman. "Tourists can see the whole country and just go from peak to peak, or focus on a theme that interests them." Today, travel companies offer a wide variety of trips that focus on specific interests, from wineries to archeological digs, historic battlefields to nature reserves.

In 2008, the IGTO aims to increase Israel's profile as a travel destination through a widespread campaign in the local and national press. With travel articles and promotional material appearing in publications like the Globe and Mail, Naked Eye magazine, Forever Young magazine and Air Canada's EnRoute, they hope to reach a massive readership and increase awareness of what Israel has to offer. The IGTO has offices in five cities across North America and has recently launched a new website that provides all the information one needs to plan a successful visit, in 10 languages.

A few stalls down from the Israeli booth was the booth of the Jordanian Travel Board. Like the Israeli one, it too featured photos of people floating in the Dead Sea, touring archeological sites and walking through a Middle Eastern marketplace. "I'd love to get together with the Israeli representative and organize joint tours; after all, we're offering similar experiences. Unfortunately, the people in the head office won't allow it. They are afraid that if something happens in Israel during a joint tour, they will be held responsible, that we will painted by the same brush," said the person manning the stall.

^TOP