Coming off the heels of a highly successful 2019, Tel Aviv is unveiling a tourism master plan designed to catapult the city into one of the most sought-after destinations on the globe by 2030.
"The work on the master plan included an in-depth examination and analysis of the city from a tourism perspective," said Eytan Schwartz, director of media and communications for the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, the arm of the local government responsible for the administration of the city. "Above all, we refined Tel Aviv's unique DNA as a tourist destination that rests on three firm pillars: the ancient city-Old Jaffa-which is our main attraction; the new city-Tel Aviv-which is characterized by phenomenal urban vitality; and, of course, the beach-with its extraordinary qualities."
The plan, which is the first of its kind for Tel Aviv, will focus on, among other things, branding and marketing, identifying and establishing tourism markets and hotel development.
"In the past few years, we have been witnessing a tourism miracle. Tel Aviv-Yafo used to be a small city that only few tourists visited. It remains a small city, but one whose name is now recognized globally and many people want to experience," said Ron Huldai, Tel Aviv-Yafo's mayor. "This master plan aims to sustain the tourism boom, manage it prudently and plan wisely for the future. Tourism in Tel Aviv-Yafo is a highly important economic engine for the city and the entire metropolitan area".
Israel drew a record number of 4.9 million tourists in 2019, an increase of 12 percent over 2018 numbers.
The Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport welcomed 24 million international passengers, 1.6 million more than in 2018. Ten new airlines added flights to Israel, for a total of 140 airlines with direct flights to Tel Aviv.
To accommodate the increasing number of visitors, Tel Aviv added 783 hotel rooms last year, bringing its room count total to 11,170.
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