Israel is set to exceed the Four Billion Dollars in revenue generated in 2022 and even its Pre COVID-19 revenue of over seven billion dollars generated from the tourism sector with more excavations ongoing to reveal more holy sites.
The tour guide in the City of David in Jerusalem, Shira Allen, said this while taking some Nigerian journalists around some holy sites.
The city of Jerusalem has started receiving more visitors as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to slow down globally.
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The tour guide in the city of David told journalists that the tourism sector is set for a boost as five excavations are currently ongoing to reveal more holy sites.
She said tourism remains one of the main sources of income for Israel and that there are five active excavations currently in progress in the city of David.
Other Pilgrimage Sites in the City of David are the wailing wall and the Church of the Sepulchre where Jesus was said to be crucified and buried in the Christian quarters of the Temple Mount in the City of David.
Christians from across the world come to these sites to pray.
Deputy Director-general, African Department, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sharon Bar-Li, said that with the Israel-Nigeria Direct Flight set to commence in March, there would be more influx of pilgrims from Nigeria to Israel.
Statistics from Isreal’s Foreign Ministry show that before the COVID-19 Pandemic, Israel made over 7.5 billion dollars from tourists and pilgrims but the revenue declined to 2.6 billion dollars in 2020, 2.2 billion dollars in 2021, and four billion dollars in 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
