A partnership like theirs might be rare in the travel industry, but it's working and for the second year in a row, the Israel and Greece tourism boards are collaborating to increase travel to both regions.
Representatives arrived in Toronto Thursday for a jam-packed day filled with meetings with tour operators during the day and travel trade members in the evening.
"Tourism is the only industry in which the client volunteers to be challenged, to get out of his or her comfort zone," Gal Hanna, Consul Tourism Director for Canada Israel Ministry of Tourism told TravelPulse Canada.
"As an industry we have a bigger opportunity than ever before, to make our industry matter."
The collaboration is part of a new campaign Israel has launched called "Israel, Exactly Like Nowhere Else," which focuses on the wide range of history culture, culinary and so much more that the country has to offer. TravelPulse Canada's Bruce Parkinson was able to experience those offerings as well as the country's inclusive and sustainable tourism firsthand earlier this year.
The Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) says the Canadian market is recovering quickly, with 60,000 Canadians arriving in 2022, representing 60% of 2019 numbers. The IMOT says that percentage topped 80% in November, and demand is high for 2023 and 2024.
Israel is also celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023, and demand to visit the country is higher than usual with the added events that will take place across the country throughout the year.
The goal of the collaboration continues to be to share the wealth; Israel has strong tourism over a few months as does Greece and by working together collaboratively, there's a mutual benefit for both countries.
"Our collaboration with Greece, for a second year in a row, is a strategic decision to make travel matters in a broad perspective," says Hana. "We are not competing destinations but complementing destinations. When travelling to Israel and Greece one can enjoy the sea and sun but also the rich history, culture, culinary and more."
"In Israel we have strong tourism over a few months, so why not share the wealth? Why not share some of the travel trends to make sure that we will shift demands towards Greece and vice versa? When Greece has high season and they are overbooked, they can shift demands to Israel," Hana explained to TravelPulse at the start of the collaboration last year.
I think that if we work together more collaboratively, I think that the message and the purpose will serve us all for the best."
Israel Ministry of Tourism also announced a new Israeli specialist program debuting in March with TravelPulse Canada to better support and educate travel agents about the country's wonders. Hana wants to ensure there's a strong collaboration with agents as well and encourages them to reach out to him and his team.
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