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After the six-month mark of 2009 there are now some statistics on tourism to Israel. I can’t say that I totally trust these numbers or at least as far as the way they are affecting the field of guiding.

Despite the gloabl recession of the last two years it seems that tourism is only down a little this year. Just for the month of July the number (252.000) is a mere 4% below July of 2008 (262.000) as compared to July 2007 – 214.000.

Over the years of living in Israel and working as a guide, I have leaned to take these numbers with a pinch of salt. These numbers may not reflect actual tourists, but rather people coming in. No doubt the majority are tourists, but there are also a great number of Jews coming in from around the world to visit family. They are all welcome.

We have also in the later years seen an increase in the number of visitors from markets new to Israel, such as Europeans from areas once under Soviet control or influence. The economies of these countries seem to have been less hit by the recent recession. At the same time there is an large untapped market from these countries.

Another market that seems to be coming back after a hiatus of almost 10 years are the Scandinavians. This tourism is directed more to Eilat,

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Israel’s foremost beach town on the shores of the Red Sea. Eilat has for many years been a great attraction to these countries, due to its free living and the great variety of water activities. This is testified with the new flights by the Finnish airline Aurinkomatkat to Eilat. Maybe other Scandinavian airlines will follow suit.

Apparently the present Minister of Tourism Stas Misezhnikov is expecting a rise in tourism in the coming months. So am I, as there is always a rise in tourism during the months of October and November. He is apparently also making plans for adding 2500 hotel rooms across the country and to be actively involved in increasing tourism to Israel to 5 million by 2015.

As an active guide I welcome any increase in tourism. I only ask of the Ministry not only to make plans and build hotel rooms, but also to be concerned with infrastructure to promote tourism, such as decent parking places for busses and private guidedcars, especially in Jerusalem. As Jewish as we are, we cannot ever forget that the backbone of tourism to Israel has and always will be the Christian pilgrim.

For a slightly different view on tourism to Israel

But on this occasion I did. The tourist I was guiding was visiting the Western Wall Tunnel, in a group guided by the Tunnels own guides. This gave me time to walk the streets alone, take some photos, but most of all to sit in my cafe.

The reason I love sitting there is that to me this street and this point is typical of the Old City and of Jerusalem. To me Jerusalem is not, never has been, and never will be, what is shown on the media throughout the world. Like with so many other things that the media reports about, it has a hard time showing every day life, the life that the residents of Jerusalem experience. This is why I like to sit in my cafe and look at who passes by.

Now I should also tell you that the Old City of Jerusalem is divided into four quarters – the Muslim Quarter, Christian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter and the Armenian Quarter. Don’t get me wrong. There are no boundaries in the City. They are more neighborhoods of the Old City.
Just like any modern city may have its China Town, or Little Italy, or whatever other name. People like to live with other people of their own kind. There is nothing political about these neighborhoods, and they spill over into each other, and that trend is growing.

My cafe is in the heart of the Muslim Quarter, across the street from The Third Station of The Cross. It is on one of the main thoroughfares in the Old City, which starts at The Damascus Gate in the north. A short stretch of the Via Dolorosa is part of this street. Eventually it spills into the Western Wall Plaza and ends the Dung Gate in the south.

If you sit there long enough, you will be able to see the whole world pass by. Catholic priests, Orthodox Jews, Arab women dressed in their modest clothes, ordinary non-religious Israelis passing the day in the Old City, tourists in various levels of dress codes. You will see devout Catholic groups making their way along the Via Dolorosa toward the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, carrying a cross in turns, stopping at each station to say the appropriate prayer at each station. You will see less traditional Christian groups receive explanations from their guide as to the events that took place here.

You will see local Arabs going about their business, or on their way to Temple Mount for prayers. You will see people from most of the Western countries, Europe, USA, Canada, as well as visitors from Japan, Taiwan or Korea. At certain times of the year you will see groups from Nigeria. In short you can see the whole world pass you by.

If you look down on the paving stones between the Cafe and the Third Station, you will see very large paving stones that were found some 40 years ago, when work was being done on the water and sewage systems in the Old City. These paving stones date back to the 5th century Byzantine Jerusalem.

And while you are watching all of this hub, you may be drinking cups of hot, bitter, sweet Arab coffee, a cold soda, or a refreshing glass of tea with mint. If you happen to be there, when it is lunch time, this cafe probably sells the best pizza in the bazaars of the Old City of Jerusalem.

In 1955 the first law to protect nature in Israel was passed by the Knesset (Parliament). It is known as the Wild Animals Protection Law, and came into being in order to save the remnants of many animals species threatened with extinction, due to hunting and total disregard for the nature of the land up till then.

In 1963 an additional law came into being, establishing two government authorities:

The National Parks Authority – to protect, maintain and develop historical sites
The Nature Reserves Authority – to protect, maintain and develop nature reserves.

Israel Nature and Parks Authority the Caretaker of World Heritage Sites

In 1988 the two authorities were joined into one, The Israel Nature and Parks Authority, INPA. As of May 2007, 190 nature reserves and 66 national parks have been officially declared so far, covering an area of approximately 20 percent of Israel’s land mass. But the INPA does not rest on its laurels: More than 200 additional proposed nature reserves and national parks are in various stages of the declaration process.

These parks stretch from Mount Hermon in the north with its snow covered peaks in the winter (and a ski resort), through green Mediterranean country side and wetlands, where until the 19th century cheetahs could still be seen, as well as wetlands, to the mountain highland of Judah and Samaria, through the Negev Desert to the coral reefs at the Red Sea and Eilat. Within this area are unique natural phenomena like the Dead Sea and the Ramon Crater, geological developments not found anywhere else in the world.

The richness in the natural landscapes and its flora and fauna is a result of Israel lying as a meeting point between Europe, Africa and Asia.

The INPA also looks after the vast number of historical sites, many of the hundreds, even thousands of years old. These sites are the foundation for the understanding of the country’s history and cultural development, which has had such a profound impact on world history.

Following the adoption by UNESCO of the charter to protect cultural and natural sites of global importance, the INPA has invested considerable resources in gaining inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The first site, Masada, was inscribed in 2001, followed in 2005 by biblical tells of Tel Megiddo, Tel Hazor and Tel Be’er Sheva, to be followed by the Incense Route and the Nabatean towns of Avdat, Shivta, Halutza and Mamshit. Other sites will hopefully be inscribed in the future.

The Israel Nataure and Parks Authority continues its work to protect nature and historical and cultural sites. It has successful programs to re-introduce animals that became extinct, is involved in the protection of the countries shorelines and much more.

For anyone interested in knowing more about the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

In later articles I will write about some of the parks.

Make sure that a number of the parks will be on your private guided tour

I have made a decision that I want to start every week with something uplifting, something fun or something unusual. Coming off a great weekend we need to jumpstart the week.

This week I am starting with wine. I will admit I am not so knowledgeable in wine, Israeli or otherwise. I do love a good wine with a good meal, or even a glass of cold white wine on a hot summers evening, looking out over the Mediterranean or the Mountain of Judea.

I think I know enough to distinguish between a good wine and a bad wine. I can even say a few chosen words about the wine, such as fruity, very fruity. But that’s about all. But that is me, and there are plenty of Israelis who know their wines.

In fact Israel has very much come on to the world scene of producing excellent wines. There are of course the large wine cellars, such as Carmel and Golan Wines, but in addition there are innumerable smaller wine cellars. I have been told something like 250 in all. That’s not bad for such a small country.

When you visit Israel it is quite possible to visit wine cellars throughout the country, from the Golan Heights and the Galilee in the north to the Judean Mountains and the Negev to the south. But you may want to get to know more about Israeli wines even before you get here. That can be done by reading about it on the premier blog on Israeli wines Hakerem: The Israeli Wine Blog. “Kerem” is Hebrew for vineyard. Well-chosen name.

There is so much information about Israeli wines on their blog, including a list of many, though not all wineries in Israel. There is also a lesson on Wine Tasting, which of course can never substitute the real thing.

The real thing can of course be had during a visit to Israel. But many Israeli wines are todaysold in many places in the world, especially USA and Europe.

Reference:

Hekerem: The Israeli Wine Blog