Israel’s hotels will be full to overflowing during the upcoming Passover/Easter season, despite the slayings in Hebron last month, according to a tourism publication here.
According to a survey conducted by Travel News, a popular publication among those who work in Israel’s tourism industry, the Hebron incident, in which a Jewish settler killed 29 Arabs, has had only a slight impact on holiday tourism.
In an article entitled “Incoming Tourism Has Not Been Hurt,” the newsletter stated that “very few tourists have canceled their trip in the wake of the massacre.”
Some individuals and groups have pulled out, including Christian pilgrims who had planned to spend Easter in the Holy Land, the article noted. And it added that there could be “some last-minute cancellations” if the security situation worsens.
“Some tourists who have made reservations are waiting to see what happens,” the article said.
The fact that the tragedy has not resulted in a spate of cancellations has delighted tourism officials here, who had feared that tourists would stay away during the lucrative holiday season, much as they did before and during the January 1991 Persian Gulf War.
According to a Ministry of Tourism spokesman, Passover, which this year begins on March 26, and Easter, which this year falls on April 3, traditionally draw large numbers of visitors. Of the 1.9 million people who visited Israel last year, nearly 275,000 planned their trips to coincide with Passover and Easter, according to the ministry.
‘RESERVATIONS ARE LOOKING GOOD’
“So far, Pesach reservations are looking very good,” said Fiona Semberg, spokeswoman for the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. “There have been a few cancellations, but we can’t say they are definitely due to what happened in Hebron. We just hope and pray that nothing will happen to affect the situation tomorrow.”
She noted, however, “that a large percentage of our guests come back year after year, and that many come during Pesach to visit their family living in Israel. They’re not the kind of people who are likely to cancel, regardless of the security situation.”
“We are very pleased at the low number of cancellations,” agreed Sara Fitterman, owner of the Ambassador Travel Agency in Jerusalem. “As far as we can tell, Passover visits haven’t been overly affected by the tragedy. In Jerusalem, at least 85 percent of the hotel rooms are booked. We expect 100 percent occupancy by Pesach.”
While holiday reservations remain steady, Fitterman expressed concern over the long term. “There has been a slowdown in the number of reservations for May and June, and a few cancellations, mostly among Jewish groups and individuals from the United States and France.
“I have the feeling that many potential tourists are taking a wait-and-see attitude,” she said.
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