Cruise travel to Israel reaches all-time high
Costa Cruises earlier this year announced an end to calls in Israel but tourist authorities there say cruise travel is expected to reach an all-time high this month with the confirmed arrival of 50,000 tourists and crew docking in the Israel port cities of Ashdod and Haifa.
About 68,000 cruise travellers arrived in Israel between January and April 2011 — a 37 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
“We are thrilled to be experiencing a new wave of international cruise travel to Israel,” says Haim Gutin, Israel Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America, “and hope this trend will inspire travellers to return to Israel for an extended stay.”
Costa announced earlier this year it was dropping calls to Israel, as well as Tunisia and Alexandria, citing uncertainty in the region.
In a statement, Costa Cruises stressed that it valued the "great appeal" of Tunisia, Egypt and Israel as "prime tourist destinations" but said that recent events had prompted its decision to change itineraries in the region.
"The changes are due to the company’s need to anticipate, plan and ensure the best possible technical and maritime practices throughout the season," added the cruise line.
The pull-out affected a number of Costa ships sailing in the Mediterranean this year, including the Costa Concordia, Costa Serena and Costa Magica.
By David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements