Latest Travel News To Israel (Jluy 2014)

Latest Travel News To Israel

USA TODAY: THE "TOURISTS ARE STAYING" IN ISRAEL

An article published on July 16, 2014 in USA Today reports that "tourists are staying" in Israel despite the current situation in the region. The Jewish Agency for Israel, which currently has 4,200 American Jews age 18 to 30 participating in its short- and long-term programs, reported that none of its groups had canceled visits because of the conflict. North America was the number one source of tourism to Israel in 2013 with approximately 623,000 of 3.5 million arrivals.

BEIT GUVRIN-MARESHA CAVES NAMED ISRAEL'S 8TH UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

The Beit Guvrin-Maresha caves were recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the eighth site in Israel to be included in the prestigious list. Located in the Judean Valley, Beit Guvrin-Maresha features a system of more than 500 caves located across a three-square-mile area outside of Jerusalem, which UNESCO describes as "a microcosm of the Land of Caves," and as a "city under a city," characterized by a selection of manmade caves excavated from a thick layer of soft chalk. Artifacts excavated at Beit Guvrin-Maresha date back to the Iron Age to the Crusader period, and include oil presses, stables, underground cisterns and channels, baths, tomb complexes and places of worship.

ISRAEL'S ALL-NEW TOP94 EXTREME SPORTS CENTER AND PARK EILAT

Top94, a new, state-of-the-art, extreme sports center, recently opened in Eilat, Israel's southern resort city on the Red Sea. Top94 offers a wide range of activities for travelers and locals alike, including archery and paintball courses, a 1,400-foot go-kart track, bicycling tours on mountain bikes or tandem bikes, a 650-foot omega zip line route, Israel's longest, and a 65-foot-high rappelling course. www.top94.co.il

FEMALE POP MUSIC SUPERSTARS TO PERFORM IN ISRAEL THIS SUMMER

Israel will host its first-ever performance by Lana Del Ray this summer at Tel Aviv's Nokia Theater, August 20. In addition, pop superstar Lady Gaga will perform in Tel Aviv as part of her "artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball" tour at Hayarkon Park, September 13. The performances follow concerts by The Rolling Stones and Justin Timberlake in Israel this summer.

JERUSALEM AND TEL AVIV VOTED BEST CITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST BY READERS OF TRAVEL + LEISURE MAGAZINE

The readers of Travel + Leisure magazine recently voted Jerusalem Best City in the Middle East and Africa as part of its 19th annual World's Best Awards. Tel Aviv scored #3, after Cape Town (#2).

LOW-COST AIRLINES TO LAUNCH NEW FLIGHTS FROM EUROPE TO ISRAEL

Hungarian airline Wizz Air now offers new direct weekly service from Sophia, Bulgaria to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In addition, the low-cost airline EasyJet will launch new weekly service from Hamburg, Germany to Tel Aviv, beginning in November 2014.

TRIPADVISOR LISTS JERUSALEM AMONG "WORLD'S TOP 10 DESTINATIONS ON THE RISE" 2014

Jerusalem was recently named to a list of the "World's Top 10 Destinations on the Rise" 2014 by leading travel website TripAdvisor. TripAdvisor notes that Jerusalem is home to a "profound cultural and historical significance" and eludes to the fact that religious pilgrims have been traveling to Jerusalem for centuries."

NEW GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR LARGEST SHABBAT DINNER SET IN TEL AVIV

A total of 2,226 residents of Tel Aviv gathered at the Tel Aviv Port last month for a massive Shabbat dinner, setting a new Guinness World Record for "Largest Shabbat Dinner Ever Served." The event took more than a year to prepare and consisted of 800 bottles of wine, 2,000 loaves of challah bread, 74 bottles of vodka, 1,800 pieces of chicken, 1,000 pieces of beef and 250 vegetarian options.

AMERICAN ACTRESS AND SINGER VANESSA WILLIAMS TOURS ISRAEL

American actress and singer Vanessa Williams arrived in Israel last week for the first time ever. Her visit included an extensive tour of historical, natural and contemporary sites throughout the country, from the Sea of Galilee, Haifa and Safed, the birthplace of Kabbalah, in the north to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The visit follows recent Israel vacation tours by leading American actors Michael Douglas and Blair Underwood.

ISRAEL LAUNCHES NEW INITIATIVES SIMPLIFYING TRAVEL FROM JERUSALEM TO TEL AVIV'S BEACHES

Israel has announced the launch of the all-new Beach Bus, simplifying travel for visitors in Jerusalem looking to experience Tel Aviv's renowned Mediterranean beaches. The Beach Bus departs every Friday at 10:00am and 10:05am from the Katamon and Rehavia districts of Jerusalem and stops at the Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv. The Beach Bus also offers return transport from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem at 3:30pm.

JERUSALEM SEASON OF CULTURE SUMMER 2014 LINEUP FEATURES CITYWIDE ART, DANCE AND MUSIC FESTIVALS

Jerusalem is offering a diverse collection of contemporary art, dance, music and cultural events this summer as part of its annual Calendar of Culture 2014, including: Under the Mountain: Festival of New Public Art (July 25-31), combining cutting-edge performance art, life and politics; Frontline (August 10-14), a collaboration with Tel Aviv's TEDER pop-up radio bar and Jerusalem's Radio Raash Hour, including a week of broadcasts, performances by local indie rock bands and DJs at the Hansen compound in Jerusalem; and 3,876-Between Knife and Fork (August 20 - September 7), a fascinating culinary arts project featuring two top Israeli chefs, Kamel Hashlamon and Assaf Granit, during which travelers will take part in a fascinating culinary experience based on the food, the peoples and the trends that have passed through Jerusalem for thousands of years, located atop a quirky building on Mount Zion. www.jerusalemseason.com/en

DESIGN MUSEUM HOLON UNVEILS NEW EXHIBITION FEATURING THE WORKS OF LEGENDARY JAPANESE DESIGNER ISSEY MIYAKE

The Design Museum Holon has recently unveiled GATHERING. Featuring Issey Miyake 132 5., a new exhibition showcasing the works of legendary Japanese designer Issey Miyake curated by internationally renowned trend-forecaster and curator Li Edelkoort, on display now through October 25, 2014. The exhibition includes several design pieces created by more than 50 top Israeli artists using three-dimensional craftsmanship, which reinvigorates design, lending body and beauty to archetypical chairs or giving form and volume to lighting structures, on display in its upper gallery, as well as select pieces from Issey Miyake's 132 5. collection in its lower gallery. www.dmh.org.il

ISRAEL MUSEUM IN JERUSALEM UNVEILS NEW "BIG BAMBU" PROJECT

Jerusalem's Israel Museum recently unveiled Big Bambu, a new exhibition created by American artists Mike and Doug Starn, on display now through October 1, 2014. Big Bambu is a 55-foot-high, massive wooden structure comprised of 10,000 bamboo poles and 260,000 feet of climbing rope, which was designed with no architectural blueprint. Big Bambu was built over a seven-week period and allows participants to enter a bamboo forest, climb upward through its mazes and view Jerusalem from above the Israel Museum's Billy Rose Art Garden. www.english.imjnet.org.il

NEW HOTELS TO OPEN IN SEASIDE CITY OF JAFFA THROUGH 2016

The seaside city of Jaffa will soon see the opening of three new high-end boutique properties, including the Market House Hotel, adjacent to the Jaffa Flea Market, slated to open this year, as well as the highly anticipated W Jaffa and Orchid Hotel, slated to open in 2016.