JERUSALEM, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Israel wants to develop a desert tourism product in Negev desert and Arava with the goal of turning the regions into winter tourist destinations, said Israel Tourism Minister Yariv Levin during a special cabinet meeting held in Dimona.
The two Israeli southern regions, Negev and Arava, can offer warm winter tourist destinations during the frozen European and Asian winter, under the slogan "Negev: Pure Desert Magic."
According to the statement from Israel Tourism Ministry, more than 130,000 tourists have landed in Eilat's Ovda Airport during 2017-2018 winter season, injecting more than 600 million shekel (171 million U.S. dollars) into the Israeli economy.
Direct flights are currently landing in Ovda from the following countries: Russia, Poland, Germany, Latvia, France, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belgium, Romania, England, Sweden, Czech Republic and Finland.
Israeli Tourism Ministry has invested hundreds of millions of shekel over the past few years in developing tourism infrastructures in the south, including the promenade in Mitzpe Ramon and cycling paths in the Negev and Arava.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 3.6 million tourist entries were recorded in the year of 2017, 25% increase in contrast to 2016. The largest increase in Israeli incoming tourism in 2017 took place in the two countries - Poland (89% increase) and China (45%).
