Israeli fans celebrate at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, after Netta Barzilai won the Grand Final of Eurovision Song Contest, May 13, 2018. Photo: Reuters / Corinna Kern.

JNS.org – Israel saw a record number of tourists in the first half of 2018, injecting billions of dollars of revenue into the Israeli economy.

According to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, from January to June 2018 about 2.1 million tourist entries were recorded—an increase of 19 percent over the same period in 2017 (1.74 million) and 26 percent more than in 2016. Since the beginning of the year, tourism has injected more than NIS 12 billion ($3.3 billion) into the Israeli economy.

June also saw a continued rise in tourism with 310,200 entries—2 percent more than June 2017. Revenue from tourism in June reached about NIS 1.66 billion ($457 billion).

“The marketing efforts and activities that we are spearheading in the ministry are leading us to new records, as, for the first time, we have crossed the 2 million threshold for tourist entries over the course of half a year,” said Tourism Minister Yariv Levin in a statement. “I am pleased to see that the first half of the year has borne the fruit of our intensive marketing endeavors and activities around the world.”

Levin added that he predicts that the second half of the year leading into next winter will continue with record statistics as Israel sees an increase in the number of flights from Europe to the southern resort city of Eilat.

“I am sure that all tourism-related enterprises will feel these results in the tourism industry, which contributes tens of billions of dollars every year to the Israeli economy,” he said.