Israel hosted more tourists last month than ever before in the month of May.  That’s not enough, says Stas Misezhnikov, Minister of Tourism.  From Arutz-7:

309,000 tourists visited Israel in May 2010 – an all-time record for the month of May – and an increase of 4% over May 2008, which was Israel’s record year for tourism. 1.4 million tourists have visited Israel since the beginning of the year, an increase of 11% over the same period in 2008. Of these, 1.1 million remained in Israel for at least one night – an increase of 5% over 2008. "In accordance with the Tourism Ministry’s three-year plan,” Misezhnikov said, “an additional million tourists will have visited Israel in 2012, in total four million tourists and business people. We must be ready to offer them an attractive tourism solution… Competition with other countries in the region will intensify significantly in the coming months and years and, in order to compete, the ministry will allocate a significant portion of its budget to helping entrepreneurs.” […] As part of this policy, the Tourism Ministry’s Investment Administration approved on Tuesday grants worth 65 million shekels to five hotel projects in Jerusalem and the Galilee. The five are the Waldorf Astoria and a boutique hotel in Ein Kerem, both in Jerusalem, and HaGoshrim Hotel, Ein Hahula, and Prima Tiberias in the Galilee.

The full story is here.  I have to wonder about the 300,000 tourists who didn’t stay in Israel for at least one night.

The government of Israel plans to spend $25 million to increase the amount of bike trails in the country from 360 miles to 3,000.  The authorities anticipate that increased revenue from bike tourism will pay for the expense.  From the Jerusalem Post:

An NIS 100 million five-year plan to create 4,900 km. of bike trails across the country was approved on Tuesday by the social-economic cabinet chaired by Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud). The plan was drafted by the Tourism Ministry following a government decision from March 2008. Biking tourism worldwide generates billions of dollars a year, the ministry said, and Israel has the potential to become a destination site for biking with the right investment. To achieve that, the ministry will create 4,900 km. of mainly rural bike trails, mostly in the Negev and the Galilee, with connections to major population centers as well. At present, there are 600 km. of trails and another 1,400 km. under construction. “Developing a national infrastructure for biking will contribute to the diversity of tourist options in the periphery and provide impetus for small-to-medium size businesses by creating more jobs. Close to 80 percent of the trails will be developed in the Negev and the Galilee, at a cost of NIS 40m., and there is no doubt that this investment will bear fruit both from a regional perspective and in terms of the economy in general, Tourism Minister Stas Meseznikov (Israel Beiteinu) said in a statement. “It is important to stress that creating the infrastructure will turn Israel into an attractive destination for bikers from around the world and an accompanying marketing plan will be developed as well.” In Europe, some 19 million people go on biking vacations and stay at about 30,000 hotel type venues each year, the ministry said, with more and more people joining the trend, which makes it a good investment with a future of high returns.

The story continues here.

Seetheholyland.net “opened its doors” yesterday to encourage pilgrims to visit the Holy Lands.  The site was created by a retired journalist in New Zealand, and it is filled with numerous articles and photographs.  Some issues addressed include:

• What is this Holy Land?
• A pilgrim is not a tourist
• When should I go?
• Is it safe?
• In a group, or solo?
• Are the sites authentic?
• What should I pack?
• Tips for travelling
• Could I lead a pilgrimage?

In addition, the most popular pilgrimage sites are described and illustrated.  This looks like a terrific resource.

The Whopper is leaving Israel, nearly twenty years after the Burger King chain opened in the country.  Israelis apparently prefer the taste of Burger Ranch, or so say the owners who are converting the 52 Burger Kings into Burger Ranches.  From Arutz-7:

Orgad Holdings, Burger King’s Israeli franchise, announced Sunday that Israel’s 52 Burger Kings will be converted to Burger Ranches, and will stop operating in August.
[…]
Burger King is not the first American company to fail in Israel.  Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Wendy’s have also come and gone.  McDonald’s which opened in Israel in 1993 and has 131 branches, is still serving Big Macs throughout the country.

I don’t remember Wendy’s, but I do remember when the very first McDonalds opened up in Israel.  A group of us made the drive from Jerusalem down to Tel Aviv for the taste of a non-kosher American hamburger.  McDonalds has a thriving business now, but it almost never opened in Israel because the government refused to allow the fast-food chain to use their preferred type of potato.

The story is also reported by the Jerusalem Post.