Cruise travel to Israel is expected to reach an all-time high this month, according to Israel’s Ministry of Tourism. The ministry is expecting 50,000 tourists to arrive in the Israeli port cities of Ashdod and Haifa in June. Cruise travel to Israel jumped 250 percent in 2010, with the arrival of nearly 170,000 cruise visitors. Nearly 70,000 cruise visitors arrived in Israel between January and April of this year, a 37 percent jump over the same period last year.
El Al Summer Family Discounts
In time for the summer travel season, El Al is offering discounted fares of up to 50 percent for children. When children between the ages of 2 and 12 travel with at least two adults, the first child will receive a 10 percent discount, the second will get a 50 percent discount and third and other children will receive a 25 percent discount. The discounts are on most economy class fares.
News From The Dan Hotels
The Israel-based luxury hotel brand Dan Hotels announced that it has appointed Eitan Sasson as its new director of marketing and sales, North America. Sasson served as head of the Israel division of Unitours Israel and marketing and sales for Unitours USA. Sasson has also worked in the customized groups and private car tours departments at luxury tour operator IsramWorld. Dan Hotels Israel is the largest luxury hotel group in the country. www.danhotels.com.
The Dan Panorama Tel Aviv, on the southern end of the city’s beachfront promenade, turns 25 this year and to mark the occasion the hotel has undergone an extensive renovation. The renovations include what General Manager Chen Michaeli described as a “sleek new entrance that provides a modern look, while the newly renovated lobby on the first floor is stylish and appealing.”
The renovations take place a year after the top two floors of Executive guestrooms and the Executive Lounge were completely remodeled.
Simon, Dylan To Play Israel
This summer, major venues in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (among others) will host a strong line-up of pop stars performing to locals and tourists.
The legendary American singer/songwriter Paul Simon will be returning to Israel for a concert at Ramat Gan Stadium on July 21 — just one month after fellow 1960s icon Bob Dylan will play the same venue (June 20). Simon, who has appeared in Israel twice before — a solo performance in 1978 and with his former singing partner Art Garfunkel — will arrive as part of a world tour promoting his latest album, “So Beautiful or So What.”
Other stars performing in Israel this summer include Laurie Anderson, Moby, Ziggy Marley, Duran Duran and the alt rock band Jane’s Addiction.
Livnot’s ‘Northern Exposure’ Program
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The summer programs of Livnot U’Lehibanot (Hebrew for “to build and to be built”), which are aimed at unaffiliated post-university Jews ages 21 to 30, want to give those young people some “northern exposure,” so to speak. The group announced that it has designed a weeklong extension program for those who have been on the Birthright Israel free 10-day trip to Israel.
Called “Northern Exposure,” the program brings the Birthrighters to the northern Israeli city of Safed, known as the birthplace of Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition. The extension program costs $100, which includes accommodations and meals. Livnot (www.livnot.com) also has a monthlong Galilee Fellowship program that allows participants a longer period of time to soak up the atmosphere of Safed and deepening their Jewish learning.
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