In many countries tourism is a vital component of the economy and is an industry in which the home country is proud to show itself off to visitors. Israel is one country in which the tourism industry is still developing and has yet to reach its capacity for visitors. The economic role of tourism in Israel has not always been a major one but over time the industry has grown and become a significant source of revenue. Despite its small size, Israel is home to hundreds, if not thousands, of tourist destinations and activities. Israel's rich past combined with the variety of tourist attractions found there makes it a perfect vacation setting for any traveler. Unfortunately, Israel's history of nearly constant wars and violence hindered normal growth to the tourism sector. Foreigners stayed away due to fears of insecurity which were often created and then intensified by the barrage of media images that made the situations seem far worse than reality proved. Over time, Israel's tourism industry experienced a number of cycles of decline and recovery. Past efforts to mend the tourism industry in Israel were not always immediate or appropriate for the situation at hand. Many times, too little was done to make any significant impact and the industry was left to recover on its own. After years of not working together followed by years of working together ineffectively, Israel's government and private sector are finally cooperating to increase international visitors to Israel. Additionally, non-profit organizations are taking part in increasing tourism levels to the Holy Land. Marketing efforts, crisis management developments, and educational programs are the results of the work of the government, private sector and non-profit sector which are being deemed effective in increasing tourism to Israel.
Levit, Stefanie, "Israel's Tourism Industry: Recovering from Crises and Generating Growth" (2008). Honors College Theses. 78.