More than 50,000 West Germans visited Israel from January through the end of April 1987, a 30 percent increase over the same period last year, the Frankfurt-based Israel Tourist Office reported Monday. A record year is possible.
According to the Tourist Office, West Germany has been for several years the main European source of tourism to Israel. The great majority of visitors are non-Jewish. There are only 30,000 Jews in the Federal Republic compared to more than a half million each in France and Britain. The Germans benefit from their strong currency, which makes a visit to Israel inexpensive for them, the Tourist Office noted. But there are other reasons for the boom. The tourist Office cited improved economic, cultural and political ties with Israel.
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