The Ministry of Tourism estimates that 2017 will end with a 20% increase in the number of tourist arrivals to Israel compared to last year, with the total economic income from tourists balancing out at around 17 billion shekels.
The lucky three millionth tourist was greeted by tourist minister, Yariv Levin. They have won the dream vacation of a lifetime; they will enjoy a luxurious suite, a luxurious limousine during their stay, a helicopter tour of Israel's skies, a muddy visit to the Dead Sea, a culinary tour of Kerem Hateimanim, and other activities.
With the arrival of the three millionth tourist at Ben Gurion Airport today, a campaign will be launched to recruit workers for the tourist industry. The industry is suffering from a shortage of manpower in key domains such as hotels, in which thousands of workers are missing during peak periods–due to worsening terms of employment for foreign workers in the hotel sector–which led to a blow to hotels in Israel.