TOURISM
Trends
Like other Mediterranean countries which enjoyed 35% of all
international tourism in the past two decades Israel offers tourists
a wide range of attractions. Its mild winters, sunny summers and
year-round beaches draw recreational tourists, while its varied
landscape, with easily accessible trails, visitor centers and
knowledgeable guides attract nature lovers and trekkers. Rare species of
fish and corals bring divers to the Gulf of Eilat, and the country's
position at a crossroads of geography and climate make it a
bird-watcher's and botanist's paradise. And, like its Mediterranean
neighbors, Israel has archeological sites which draw visitors from
around the world. But, unlike some of those countries, Israel houses
holy sites for the world's three great monotheistic religions, making
pilgrimage an important feature in tourism to the country. Israel is
also world renowned for health tourism. The Dead Sea appeals to beach
tourists as well as those in search of health and beauty: its salty
water, dense black mud and mineral and sulphur springs all have
therapeutic or curative value.
These features combine to make tourism a major source of foreign
currency earnings for Israel: 4.2% of GNP for 1989, with between 1
million and 1.4 million tourists arriving from abroad annually during
the mid-1980s (Figure 24). In the next decades, international tourism is
expected to increase. By 2025, as many as 7.5 million tourists may visit
Israel annually, according to optimistic forecasts based on a rapid
resolution of the Middle East conflict. Domestic tourism is also likely
to grow, with the shortening of the work week and rise in standard of
living.
As a result, the tourism infrastructure will have to expand. For
example, significant growth in the number of Mediterranean marinas is
expected: 14 facilities with a total of 10,000 moorings. Until recently,
planning for tourist development has been limited to hotel sites and
visitor facilities at the most commonly visited sites. Efforts are now
being directed toward broadening the scope of tourist activities and
providing a wider range of accommodations throughout the country,
including rural areas.
Environmental Implications
During the hot summer months, both domestic and international tourism is
focused on water sources: bathing beaches, lake shores, pools and
springs. Pressure on natural resources, especially on the few,
sensitive, water-rich systems, may cause permanent damage. In the Sea of
Galilee, where intensive recreational use threatens to endanger the
quality of the water, efforts are currently under way to find
alternative sites. Other environmental problems which result from
tourism are: increasing traffic congestion on weekends and holidays,
incursion into sensitive landscape areas, overcrowded parking lots,
over-use of picnic areas, inadequate litter collection and disposal, and
forest fires. These problems may be addressed in a number of ways,
including improved visitor facilities, and constraints on public access
to ensure that natural resources are not damaged by over-use. In the
environmentally sensitive area of the Gulf of Eilat, measures will have
to be taken to safeguard the coral reef ecosystem and the unique
landscape. In the fragile desert environment, off-road vehicle travel
may need to be curbed to prevent irreparable damage.
Tourism may also foster benefits for the environment. It may provide
incentives for reclamation and improvement of damaged environments,
protection of natural landscapes, cleanliness in the public domain,
safeguarding and restoration of archeological sites, and the removal of
environmental nuisances.
With proper and professional management, the challenge of balancing
between the development of tourism and preservation of the environment
can be met. Tools for evaluating the impact of tourism have been
developed, and are expected to facilitate environmentally-sound decision
making in this sphere.