THE Embassy of Israel welcomed the growing number of Filipinos traveling to “The Holy Land”.
Data from Israel’s Ministry of Tourism showed that around 9,000 Filipinos traveled to Israel during the first half of the year, up 62 percent from 5,600 during the same period in 2016.
In June the number of Filipinos who traveled there doubled to 1,200, from only 600 in June 2016.
During the first semester of 2017, the biggest monthly record of Filipino travelers was recorded in April with 2,100.
Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben Matityau said this positive development comes on the heels of the growing interest among Filipinos who are looking for a meaningful spiritual sojourn combined with the growing interest in modern Israel as the “Land of Creation and Creativity”, which is also known as “The Promised Land” and “The Land of Many Promises”, in so many ways.
“We see growing opportunities in tourism. Israel creates the foundation for a very solid and steady growth in tourism between our two countries,” the ambassador said.
Tourism Director for India and Philippines Hassan Madah expressed hope that a record number of 17,000 Filipino tourists will travel to Israel this year.
“The Israel Ministry of Tourism sees a huge potential in the Philippine market as we continue to make progress on the issues of awareness and connectivity. Filipinos can enjoy visa-free travel to Israel for up to 90 days, while Israelis can enjoy visa-free travel to the Philippines for up to 59 days,” Madah said.
The director added, “On the connectivity side, Cathay Pacific and Turkish Airlines offer good connections to Tel Aviv.”
Statistics from the Philippines’s Department of Tourism showed that a total of 16,725 Israelis traveled to the Philippines last year, 42 percent higher from 2015’s record of 11,756.
Matityau said this year the number is expected to grow at least in the same rate with Israel as the foremost country in terms of growth rate for incoming tourists to the Philippines.