Jerusalem Voted World's 11th Best City

Tel Aviv ranked 29th by readers of leading American magazine Travel+Leisure. Israeli capital voted second best city in Africa and Middle East.

Danny Sadeh

July 22, 2011

YnetNews

Readers of leading American magazine Travel+Leisure have voted for Jerusalem as the second best city in Africa and the Middle East for 2011. Cape Town ranked first and Tel Aviv third.
 

Bangkok was chosen as the best city in the world for 2011, followed by Florence, Rome, New York and Istanbul. Jerusalem ranked 11th in the global ranking, immediately after Paris, and Tel Aviv came in 29th.

The magazine has been conducting its annual reader survey for the past 16 years, ranking cities, hotels, airlines, spa resorts, islands, etc.

The city category is divided into six regions, and readers are required to rank the cities according to different categories, including sites, culture and arts, food and restaurants, shopping and travel expenses.

The New York-based magazine, distributed in one million copies across the world, is considered very popular among tourists.

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov says his ministry has reinforced its marketing activities across the world in the past two years, positioning Israel as the Holy Land and focusing on Jerusalem, while promoting the cities of Tel Aviv and Eilat as well.

According to Tourism Ministry figures, some 76% of the tourists who arrived in Israel in the first half of 2010 visited Jerusalem and the capital's sites – led by the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Via Dolorosa, Yad Vashem and the Mount of Olives.

Tel Aviv attracts some 54% of tourists arriving in Israel every year and visiting the White City, which was recognized as an official UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.

Contact Point at The Israel Museum

Thousands of Jerusalem residents and guests came together at the Israel Museum on Thursday, July 14, 2011 for the Museum's annual Nekudat Maga (Contact Point) event.  A joint project of the Israel Museum and the Jerusalem Season of Culture (JSOC), this evening brings together artists, musicians, dancers and more in one of Jerusalem's best parties of the summer!

Filling every corner of the galleries throughout the museum as well as the sculpture garden and other spaces, guests were sure to find something meaningful and interesting ... and something to satiate their artistic palette.

Left: Routes Travel team enjoying dinner outside at Modern.

For the Routes team, the evening started at Modern, the Israel Museum's newest restaurant.  The outdoor setting was a perfect way to begin the festivities of the night.  Starters included green falafel (cumin, freshly crushed garlic and lemon juice), Jerusalem chummus, Baladi eggplant and more.  For the main course, the selection included Beef Sofrito (potatoes, parsley and beef), Fillet of Mullet (hummus, sauteed onion, pesto and pimento sauce), and Grilled Chicken Breast (mushroom ragu, garlic confit, bulgar and lentil mejadra).  And for dessert, there was chocolate fudge topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, pear and almond-filled cigars and fruit salad.

After dinner, we ventured into the museum where many artists were in residence, filling the open spaces with explanations of their artwork and exhibits.  There were also interactive exhibitions such as "Streams of Consciousness," where two writers explored what it means personally to them.  They expressed themselves by typing correspondence to each other on their laptops, in front of an audience.  Tour guides were also available for private tours throughout the galleries.

To finish the evening - and to abide by Jerusalem's noise laws - Contact Point once again hosted a "Silent Party." One thousand people wearing headphones, listening to the same music, and dancing on the outdoor promenade at the Israel Museum made this worldwide trend a phenomenon here in Israel as well.  The setting couldn't be more perfect:  the plaza overlooks Jerusalem and is next to Anish Kapoor's sculpture, Turning the World Upside Down.

If you missed this year's party -- there is always next year (and 364 days in between)!  The Israel Museum is truly a unique part of Jerusalem and has something for everyone - children and adults, artists and novices alike. 


Not to be missed:  The Israel Museum plays host to the famous Dead Sea Scrolls which can be found in the Shrine of the Book.  Discovered in eleven caves in the Dead Sea between 1947 and 1953, this is a must for a visit to the museum.  And finally, to see what Jerusalem looked like in the time of the Second Temple, be sure to visit the Second Temple Model at the Israel Museum.  This structure, built on nearly one acre, is detailed and sophisticated and depicts for the visitor ancient Jerusalem in 66CE.

May Sets All-Time High for Travel to Israel

About 1,168,000 tourists arrive in Israel in first five months of 2011 – 4% more than same period last year.

YnetNews, July 6, 2011

Travel to Israel reached a new all-time high in May with the arrival of 268,000 international tourists staying more than one night – a 5% increase compared to May 2010.

Also, approximately 1,168,000 tourists arrived in Israel between January and May 2011 – 4% more than the same period last year.

"We are thrilled to see an increase in travel to Israel during the month of May despite the recent regional turmoil," says Haim Gutin, Israel commissioner for Tourism, North and South America, "and this trend promises to continue through the warm summer months."

Some 16,000 of the 40,000 one-day visitors to Israel in May arrived on cruise ships – a 100% increase in cruise travel compared to May 2010.
        
Cruise travel to Israel was also expected to reach a new all-time high in June with the confirmed arrival of 50,000 tourists and crew docking in the Israel port cities of Ashdod and Haifa.