MANILA — Israel was eyeing more tourists from the Philippines amid increased interests from Filipinos to visit the Holy Land.
“We are constantly working to increase destination awareness among travelers and the travel trade and working towards bringing leisure tourism to Israel from the Philippines as well,” said Sammy Yahia, Director of Israel Ministry of Tourism for India and the Philippines.
Yahia added that Israel was an emerging destination for leisure travelers, and Filipino tourist arrivals had been growing progressively over the last couple of years.
He noted that 2018 was a record-breaking year with close to 31,000 Filipino tourists visiting Israel, a 26 percent increase from 2017.
Through June 2019, approximately 14,300 Filipino tourists have completed travel to Israel, marking a 19 percent increase over the same period last year.
“We are confident this trend will continue,” said Yahia.
Philippine passport holders enjoy visa-free access to Israel up to 90 days.
Turkish Airlines and Cathay Pacific currently service the Manila–Tel Aviv route via Istanbul and Hong Kong, respectively.
Philippine Airlines also announced its interest in opening flights from Manila to Tel Aviv.
“With the increase in connectivity, there is great potential to increase the tourism figures to Israel from the Philippines,” Yahia said.
To attract more Filipino tourists, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism was hosting a two-city roadshow on August 13 and 15 in Manila and Cebu.
The ministry expected around 300 Manila and about 150 Cebu travel agency representatives to attend the events.
“Israel offers a plethora of things to do and see to cater to the discerning traveler. From the historical city of Jerusalem to the beach city of Tel Aviv; from the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, to the marvelous underwater marine life of Red Sea in Eilat, Israel is truly a dynamic destination,” Yahia said. (GMA News)
