Record 316,000 tourists arrive in November

Of the tourists who arrived in November, 282,000 spent more than one night in Israel, up 1% from November 2010.

By GLOBES/ANAT COHEN

DECEMBER 12, 2011 23:09

Eilat 260 R (photo credit: REUTERS/ Nir Elias) — Eilat 260 R

(photo credit: REUTERS/ Nir Elias)

Some 316,000 tourists arrived in Israel in November, up 2 percent up from the corresponding month of 2010 and the highest-ever number of tourists for any November, the Central Bureau of Statistics reported Monday.

Of the tourists who arrived in November, 282,000 spent more than one night in Israel, up 1% from November 2010.

In the first 11 months of 2011, 3.1 million tourists have entered Israel, down 2% from the corresponding period of 2010. Of this number, 2.6 million spent more than one night in Israel, up 1% from last year.

The Tourism Ministry’s investment administration on Sunday approved 16 requests for assistance. The overall investment in the projects, which include the construction of new hotels, renovations of hotels and converting existing buildings into hotels, totals NIS 270 million, of which the Tourism Ministry will invest NIS 50m.

Six new hotels will open in Jerusalem, Haifa, Rosh Pina and the Western Galilee, and hotels in the Galilee and Tiberias will be enlarged.

Two buildings in Haifa will be converted into hotels. The projects will add 470 new hotel rooms, and 300 rooms will be renovated.