The Tel Aviv shoreline. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Israel’s Tourism Ministry this week is hosting 130 travel agents from 17 countries for the “Israel Where Else” conference.

“The conference is taking place against the backdrop of an all-time high in tourism to Israel, and against the backdrop of solutions that we are creating for accommodation for large groups of tourists,” said Tourism Ministry Director-General Amir Halevi.

“The travel agents and tour operators, most of whom are on their first visit to Israel, will be exposed to the wide range of attractive options that tourism in Israel has to offer, as well as to our updated marketing strategy that has been adapted to the current trends in the world,” said Halevi.

Leading tourism wholesalers from countries including the US, Brazil, Canada, Ukraine, Philippines, France, the UK and Spain are participating in the seven-day conference. Travel agents can choose to participate in a variety of government-facilitated tours of major sites and regions, including the Negev, the Galilee, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The agents are also introduced to Israeli tourism brands and explore the Jewish state’s recreation, entertainment and leisure options. Business meetings are facilitated between the visiting tour operators and Israeli travel representatives.

The number of tourists visiting Israel reached an all-time high of 739,000 in the first quarter of 2017.