| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 19/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 26 |
| Copyright: Other |
Ministry of tourism
Israel bids to increase UK marketing budget
Report by JANEARCHER
Israel’s Ministry of Tourism is in line for a three-fold increase in it’s UK marketing budget, as part of a strategy to boost the country’s profile as a holiday destination.Senior deputy director general Pini Milo said he wants to increase the UK marketing spend from the current £1.6m to £5m in the next year.
He is also waiting to hear if the government agrees to double the ministry’s existing worldwide marketing budget from £16.5m to £33m.
Milo said the key message will be to promote Israel’s Red Sea, Mediterranean coast, Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee.
“We are not trying to reposition Israel away from religion as that is our backbone but the message will be on Israel as a beach destination.”
Milo blamed the previous government’s decision to withhold the extra £16.5m a year, for the three years leading up to this year, for an expected 1m shortfall in visitors this year.
The extra money, which would have taken the marketing budget to £33m three years ago, was promised to promote Israel as the ‘official destination of the Millennium’.
“The government decided it had different priorities,” Milo said. “We only got £2.6m extra in 1998 and 1999.”
He said Israel will end the year with a total of 3m visitors instead of the expected 4m. However, that is still up on last year’s 2.5m visitors, of which some 250,000 were from the UK.
“Our priority now is to keep numbers at this level,” said Milo.
New tactic: the ministry is to focus on Israel as a beach destination