J'lem named top travel culture, sightseeing destination

Other top 10 destinations: London, New York, Paris, Rome, and Washington. Jerusalem ranked seventh.

By DEVORAH POLAK
Jerusalem 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Jerusalem 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Jerusalem, internationally recognized as one of the top destinations for religious pilgrimages, has recently received recognition of a different character: TripAdvisor, a website featuring more than 40 million traveler reviews, now lists Jerusalem as one of the top travel destinations for culture and sightseeing.
Other destinations on the top 10 list include London, New York, Paris, Rome and Washington, as well as Florence, Venice, Istanbul and Siem Reap, Cambodia. Jerusalem was ranked seventh.
While Jerusalem has often been rated one of the top travel destinations in the Middle East, most recently by Travel + Leisure magazine, the TripAdvisor award is significant because Jerusalem has been ranked as a top contender in the entire world and not just its immediate region.
According to the Tourism Ministry, Jerusalem is visited by over two million tourists every year, and that number is on the rise. About 317,000 visitors entered Israel in April, a 26 percent increase over the same month last year.
The website goes on to list a few recommended sites, including the Western Wall, the Temple Mount and the City of David Visitor’s Center.
JTA contributed to this article.