Christmas in Israel - 165,000 Christian tourists expected
As in previous years for Christmas, the Tourism Ministry provided free transportation to biblical sites in Bethlehem.
By ZACHARY KEYSERPeople celebrate during the annual lighting ceremony of a Christmas tree at Manger Square outside the Church of the Nativity, the site revered as the birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem(photo credit: REUTERS)
About 165,000 Christian tourists are expected to celebrate Christmas in Israel, a 10% increase compared to last year, which is in line with all incoming tourism numbers for 2019.Almost 2.5 million of tourists to Israel in the past year – 55% of the total – were Christian, according to the Tourism Ministry.The most visited sites included the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Via Dolorosa and the Mount of Olives. Around Christmas time, Bethlehem and Nazareth are the main touring hot spots.About 84% of Christian travelers visit Jerusalem on their pilgrimages and 65% visit Tel Aviv, data showed.“By the end of the year, around 4.5 million tourists are expected to have visited Israel – an all-time record,” Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said, adding that, “pilgrimage tourism contributed greatly to breaking the record.”As in previous years for Christmas, the Tourism Ministry provided free transportation to biblical sites in Bethlehem.Additionally, throughout the weeks surrounding the holiday – which is celebrated by Orthodox Christians on January 6 and Armenian Christians on January 18 – the ministry will be holding receptions for church leaders, representatives of the Christian communities in Israel, ambassadors, pilgrimage organizers and other dignitaries at the David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem. The ministry said it welcomes Christian participants to join in on the discussions and enjoy the receptions.
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