More tourists, fewer hotel overnights in July

The Israel Hotel Association economic research department has reported that tourist hotel overnights totaled 800,000 in July, 7% fewer than in July 2017, but 19% more than in July 2016. The Hotel Association emphasized that until July, the number of tourist overnights had increased in comparison with the corresponding month in the preceding year every month since November 2016. Tourist overnights in July 2018 accounted for 34% of total overnights. Jerusalem and Tel Aviv led in tourist overnights with 34% and 29% of the total, respectively.

Hotel overnights by Israelis totaled 1.55 million in July, 7% more than in July 2017 and 2% fewer than in July 2016. The increase in Israeli overnights, which included all regions in Israel except for Tiberias, offset the decline in foreign tourist overnights. Overnights in July totaled 2.3 million, the same as in July 2017 and 4% more than in July 2016.

The average hotel occupancy rate in July was 68%, 2% less than in July 2017 and the same as in July 2016. The highest rate was 82% in Eilat, followed by Tel Aviv (76%), Haifa (74%), Netanya (69%), Herzliya (67%), hotels at the Dead Sea (66%), Jerusalem (57%) (attributed to the relatively low proportion of foreign tourists), Tiberias (56%), and Nazareth (53%).

Israel had 54,347 hotel rooms as of July, 3% more than last year and 6% more than in 2016, following the opening of new hotels and additional rooms in existing ones.

Hotel overnights totaled 14.3 million in January-July, 6% more than in the corresponding period last year. 6.7% of these overnights were tourist overnights, 10% more than in January-July 2017, while overnights by Israelis totaled 7.5 million, 2% more than in the corresponding period last year. Nationwide hotel occupancy in January-July was 67%, 3% more than the 65% rate in the same period in 2017.

The Hotel Association said, "According to figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Tourism, the number of incoming tourists was 8% more than in the preceding year (293,400 this year, compared with 271,000 last year), but the number of incoming tourist overnights fell 7% (799,000 overnights, compared with 863,000 overnights). The reason is first of all the expansion of overnights in Airbnb apartments. Another reason is that tourists landing in Israel move to overnights in the Palestinian Authority (in Bethlehem, for example). Furthermore, the Maccabiah Games took place in Israel last year and drew many tourists from overseas. The increase in the number of overnights among Israelis proves that they are still loyal to the tourism industry in Israel, especially hotels. Investment in internal tourism should be increased as an important safety net for the entire industry."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 23, 2018

More tourists, fewer hotel overnights in July

The Israel Hotel Association attributed the loss of tourist hotel overnights to tourists staying in Airbnb apartments.