Hotel occupancy rates were 90-100% in Eilat over the Passover holiday, exceeding predictions of 85% occupancy rates for the Seder night and 75% for second holiday. A wave of last-minute reservations filled the town’s hotels.
Sales campaigns boosted the number of Israeli vacationers by 20%. 10,000 foreign tourists also arrived, mostly from France and the UK, and some of whom are staying for two weeks. Although there were fewer tourists than during Passover 2006, there were more than expected. Tourist numbers fell after a terrorist bombing in Eilat two months ago.
Hotel occupancy rates in Jerusalem and the Dead Sea were 90-95% for the Seder night and 85% for the second holiday. Kibbutz guest houses in the north and south had high occupancy rates, and the Society for the Preservation of Nature in Israel reported that field schools were full.
Carnival Cruise Lines Corp. (NYSE; LSE: CCL) ship Holland America docked in Israel for the first time in seven years, carrying 1,200 passengers. The Arison family controls the company.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on April 11, 2007
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