Israel struggling to recover its tourism sector

Israel is struggling to refurbish its tourism sector after its genocidal war on Gaza left the sector almost tattered.

This year should have been a record year for Israeli tourism, according to New York Times.

"In 2013, Israel attracted 3.6 million foreign visitors. Numbers from January to June showed a 15 percent increase. Then the war began in July, and the number of visitors slumped. In July and August, the number of tourists fell to 400,000, down from 578,000 in the same period last year, a 31 percent decline," the daily said.

"Ninety percent of cruise ship visitors canceled," it added.

The daily also quoted the Israel Hotels Association as saying that occupancy rates, usually 80 percent in July, fell below 40 percent.