The Goal: To Bring Tourists Back to Israel and the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee)

Shmrit Barzilai - Marketing Manager of Ein Gev Tourism, was happy to meet Eli Cohen - President of the Israel Hotel Association, and Sivan Dattoker - CEO of the Israel Hotel Association, who opened the Israeli pavilion, together with Daniela Grotzki - Acting Israeli Ambassador to Britain and Michael Itzhakov - Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, at the WTM tourism fair, one of the largest in the world, currently taking place in London.

Shmrit Barzilai: "Due to the security situation in the last two years and the anti-Semitism in the world, the number of tourists and pilgrims to Israel has decreased, especially to the north and the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) area, and the trend of the Ministry of Tourism and the Hotel Association, and all participants from Israel, is to project calm and remind of the variety of attractions that Israel offers to visitors, to groups from Jewish communities, and pilgrims." Barzilai notes that thousands of pilgrims used to stay in the Ein Gev Holiday Village and around the Kinneret in the winter months, and the goal is to bring the visits back to the Kinneret area. She says that she has scheduled a number of meetings with key travel agents at the exhibition and in the offices of the major agencies in London and she hopes for the best.

The international exhibition takes place over 3 days, with the participation of approximately 46,000 tourism industry professionals: travel agents, hotels, airlines, tourist sites, resorts, etc., from all over the world and a display of 4,000 pavilions, including the Israeli pavilion sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism in Israel, where activity and presence is more noticeable this year, compared to the last two years.

Photograph = Sivan Dattoker - CEO of the Israel Hotel Association, with Shmrit Barzilai - Marketing Manager of Ein Gev Tourism, next to the Israeli pavilion at the WTM exhibition in London. Photo private album/PR