Israel sees tourism opportunity with holy sites

Israel's new Tourism Minister says he will promote Holy Land and its centre Jerusalem as the “best tourist attraction” for followers of the three monotheistic faiths around the world.

The Russian-born Stas Misezhnikov plans to shift the direction of Israel's tourism marketing by concentrating on its unique attractions - the holy sites.

Misezhanikov said: "Israel is holy to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and the focus of the tourism ministry today is to promote Israel as such.

"What Israel needs to do is focus on what it has that others don't have, or in other words: the Holy Land," he added.

Misezhnikov has expressed that there are hundreds of millions of Evangelical Christians around the world who only need to be encouraged in order to visit Israel.

In light of Pope Benedict XVI's recent visit to Israel, Misezhnikov plans to actively target the Catholic and evangelical markets around the world.

Currently in North and South America, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism is using the "Visit Israel – You'll Never Be the Same" advertising campaign to reach the evangelical and Catholic markets, implying a spiritual transformation by visiting Israel.

The minister added: "The Holy Land - and at its centre, Jerusalem - is the best tourist attraction we have; no competition."

On the web, the Israel Ministry of Tourism www.goisrael.com