In the last year the number of operators selling Israel has grown to 26. Birdwatching, cycling, wine, adventure, spa, golf and weekends for party animals are among its new breed of attractions, and the Israel Government Tourist Office launched a campaign called Hidden Gems to highlight what the country now has to offer.
Rafi Shalev, the Israel tourist board’s UK and Ireland director, believes that these days people are looking for an experience that is more than just sun, sand and sea, and Israel is the perfect option.
“Israel is a country that offers it all,” he says. “It offers a ‘one size fits all’ solution providing clients with much more holiday for their money.”
Escorted tours are a big growth area, and new hotels in Tel Aviv coupled with increased UK airlift have helped launch the city as a beach and short-break destination.
Kirker Holidays included Israel for the first time in 2010 and is adding cultural tours to Jerusalem and the Holy Land this year, as well as short breaks in Herzliya, on the Mediterranean coast north of Tel Aviv, leading in at £1,138 at the five-star Dan Accadia.
Other new high-end products include Page & Moy’s eight-day Journey Through Israel tour from £1,299 and Cox & Kings’ eight-day Journey to Jerusalem, including a stay at the five-star King David Hotel, from £1,995.
Cox & Kings’ Middle East product manager, Mark Stacey, says: “As a cultural destination Israel is second to none, so it has been on our radar for a while. There has been substantial growth in our Middle East product so launching Israel was a logical expansion and there has also been demand for twin country combinations such as Jordan and Israel.”
Collette Worldwide Holidays also offers a Jordan twin-centre, plus a new standalone Israel tour. “This tour has been selling successfully to American groups for several years, but increased demand both in the US and UK prompted us to introduce it into our main consumer programme this year,” says UK operations manager Paul Palmer.
Simon Grove, Explore’s head of product, says accessibility and value for money has boosted Israel’s appeal and this has been reflected in its expanded Israel programme.
Superstar Holidays has spearheaded tourism to Israel for more than 25 years and agents can tailor packages that include tickets to the opera Aida at Masada in June and special interests such as cycling and gourmet.
Finally, golf is not normally associated with Israel but the course at Caesarea has been redesigned and Superstar will be offering packages in conjunction with Dan Hotels.
Luxury
Israel celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2008, triggering a host of hotel refurbishments – and there is plenty of upmarket accommodation for discerning clients.
With 13 properties, Dan Hotels is Israel’s largest luxury hotel group and its portfolio includes Jerusalem’s landmark King David Hotel overlooking the Old City.
There are also an increasing number of individual boutique hotels such as Tel Aviv’s atmospheric Hotel Cinema. Housed in an iconic Bauhaus building that was once a cinema, popcorn is served and classic movies are screened in the lobby.
Sample package: Select by Globus has a new eight-night half-board Journey Through the Holy Land tour from £2,099 for travel in May, including four-diamond luxury accommodation, welcome and farewell dinners, and British Airways flights from Heathrow. cosmostourama.co.uk, 0844 573 0660
Budget
Independent clients who want to explore the country at their own pace will find a stay in a kibbutz an ideal option. A traditional communal way of living, kibbutzim were originally agriculture based and aimed to be self-supporting. About 30 have opened their doors to offer simple, well-priced accommodation to visitors.
A fantastic way for clients to meet locals, the majority of kibbutzim can be found in the Galilee, Jerusalem and Dead Sea region and are well placed for fly-drive tours taking in historic and cultural attractions and visits to Tel Aviv.
Sample package: Longwood Holidays offers seven nights staying on kibbutzim in Jerusalem, Tiberias and Shefayim from £1,075 for travel in May, including car hire and El Al flights from Heathrow. longwoodholidays.co.uk, 020 8418 2514
Adventure
Israel’s desert and sea provide a natural adventure playground for families and thrillseeking clients. Activities include kayaking, diving, waterskiing, parasailing and swimming with dolphins, while back on dry land there are desert and mountain jeep safaris, quad biking, camel treks and horse riding.
Bedouin tribes play an important part in Israeli culture and visitors can experience their way of life with an excursion or overnight stay in a Bedouin camp. With more than 6,000 miles of marked hiking trails Israel is also a paradise for ramblers.
Sample package: Explore offers a five-day B&B adventure holiday, including camel trekking in the Negev, a night in a Bedouin camp and snorkelling in the Red Sea, from £859 for travel in April, including El Al flights from Heathrow. explore.co.uk, 0845 013 1537
Gourmet
With its melting pot of cultures Israeli food is extremely varied (curiously there are more sushi restaurants per capita in Tel Aviv than in any other city, including Tokyo). While most hotels observe Jewish dietary laws and are kosher, most restaurants serve non-kosher food.
Israel’s cuisine is fresh and healthy and includes the famous Jaffa oranges first exported to Europe in the 1930s. For food on the go, falafel is the number one street food. Israel has a wine-growing culture dating back 3,000 years and there are more than 200 wineries.
Sample package: Collette Wordwide Holiday’s new eight-day Biblical Journey leads in at £1,489 for April departures, including most meals, British Airways flights from Heathrow and door-to-door transfers within a 100-mile radius of the airport. colletteworldwide.com, 0800 804 8705
Wellness
Having the Dead Sea on its doorstep makes Israel a natural choice for a spa destination and with over 330 sunny days a year it’s the perfect place to combine pampering or health treatments with rest and relaxation.
The mud and minerals found in the Dead Sea are renowned for their healing and rejuvenating properties, helping with skin conditions, sports injuries, arthritis and rheumatism. While the main spa hotels are based around the Dead Sea many hotels throughout the country, including three-star properties, boast a spa.
Sample package: Superstar Holidays’ seven-night half-board Discover Israel tour, including a trip to the Dead Sea, leads in from £1,110 for travel in May, with El Al flights from Heathrow. Extensions can include spa stays or Eilat beach holidays. superstar.co.uk, 020 7121 1500
