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Poll taken last week reveals that two-thirds of Israeli public plan to go on vacation in 2009 despite recession. Rise in number of Israelis planning vacations within Israel compared to those planning trip abroad. A poll published Thursday reveals that despite the economic crisis and the growing recession, 66% of Israelis plan on taking a vacation sometime in 2009. The poll was conducted on 500 men and women by the Geocartography Institute for the International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) 2009.
The poll also showed a rise in the number of Israelis planning on vacationing within Israel – 27%, up from last year’s 18%. Simultaneously, the number of Israelis planning on vacationing abroad has diminished, and this year stands at 20% as opposed to 24% last year. The number of Israelis planning on vacationing both in Israel and abroad has remained the same.
Of the Israelis planning on vacationing abroad, 64% said they would fly to Europe, 39% to America, 19% to Greece and Cyprus, 17% to the Far East, 16% to Turkey, and 5% to China.
Eyal Shmuely, an IMTM promoter and publisher and editor-in-chief of Israel Travel News, said, "The average Israeli has started to understand that going on vacation is a legitimate expense, and not a luxury as was believed in the past. It is likely that despite, or perhaps even because of, the past months, more and more Israelis are deciding to take a vacation in order to rest, take a break from the stress, recharge their batteries, and escape from the complicated reality for a few days."
Shmuely added that he is happy to see an increase in the number of Israelis planning vacations within Israel.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
