The Latest Travel News From Isreal

THE LATEST TRAVEL NEWS FROM ISRAEL ISRAEL GOVERNMENT TOURIST OFFICE NORTH AMERICA israel.travel #VisitIsrael

THE ISRAELI OPERA TO HOST TWO FESTIVALS IN JERUSALEM AND ACRE THIS SUMMER  (Photo Credit: Yosi Sebkar-Selam) The Israeli Opera, Israel's principal opera company, will once again offer two exciting summer festivals, both staged in spectacular outdoor settings. The Jerusalem Opera Festival will take place from June 22-25, 2016 at venues throughout the city. The Sultan's Pool will serve as the stage for the main production of Opera Paradiso - Pretty Woman Meets The Fifth Elements, an opera combining clips from popular Hollywood films with vocal soloists. The Akko Opera Festival, from July 28-30, 2016, will be held in the northern Old City of Acre. Performances will include pieces from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as well as an original music composition exploring the sounds of the Spanish, Jewish and South American musical traditions.  For more information about the Summer Opera Festivals, click here.

ISRAEL'S MIDBURN FESTIVAL WILL BRING 8,000 PARTICIPANTS TO THE DESERT More than 8,000 participants are expected to attend this year's Midburn Festival from June 8-12, 2016. The Israeli "Burning Man" community will build a temporary city near Sde Boker in the Negev Desert, comprised of themed campgrounds, bars, a beach and even a post office. Creating a platform for communal living, more than 700 international "Burners" are expected to travel from the US, UK, Europe, South Africa, Japan and other countries to join the sandstorm of creativity.  For updates and information, visit the festival's facebook page.

TEL AVIV PREPARES FOR MORE THAN 180,000 PARTICIPANTS IN THIS YEAR'S GAY PRIDE PARADE (Photo Credit: Nir Keidar) As the much-anticipated Tel Aviv Gay Pride event approaches, the city has begun preparations for the waves of visitors expected to attend. From May 25 to June 9, 2016, more than 180,000 participants, including 30,000 international tourists, will attend events throughout the city. Tel Aviv's main event on June 3rd, The Pride Parade, is expecting hundreds of thousands of participants alone as festival-goers march along the Mediterranean coast before arriving at Charles Clore Park for a massive outdoor beach party. Conchita Wurst, winner of the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, will serve as the guest of honor for the parade.

NEW EXHIBITION AT THE TOWER OF DAVID MUSEUM OFFERS A GLIMPSE OF JERUSALEM BEFORE 1950 The Tower of David Museum will present the works of photographers living and working in Jerusalem during the first half of the 20th century with its new exhibition, The Camera Man - Women and Men Photograph Jerusalem 1900-1950. From May 26 through December 12, the exhibition will highlight the complex human and cultural heritage of the city and, for the first time, offer a complete look through the photographic eye of Christians, Jews and Muslims living in Jerusalem during this era.  For more information about the exhibit, click here.

URBAN ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL INVITES THE PUBLIC INSIDE The public is invited to explore Tel Aviv's unique urban landscape in the 10th annual Open Tel Aviv urban festival from May 26-28, 2016. This year's event explores the influence of the city's coastline on the architectural identity of Tel Aviv. Free tours will explore design-driven private residences, municipal buildings and private offices. Highlights will include tours of the Herbert Samuel 48, a restored building transformed into a glass townhouse offering exquisite views of the Mediterranean Sea; the Royal Beach Hotel penthouse, a fusion of modern, Art Déco and classic architectural styles; and the hip Ecological Rooftop Apartment, featuring a rooftop that serves as a veritable urban farm.  For a full program of events click here.

FREE ENTRANCE TO ALL OF ISRAEL'S BEACHES THIS SUMMER Tourists and locals alike can benefit from free entrance to all Israeli beaches this summer. The vastly diverse Mediterranean, Dead and Red Seas are all included in this country-wide initiative to provide free access to the country's top bathing hot-spots. With Tel Aviv's designation as the #1 Best Beach Party Spot on the Planet by USA TODAY, the 13 beaches along the city's coastline alone will welcome more than eight million beach-goers this year. In addition to the country's see-and-be-seen beaches, Israel has received wide acclaim for its clean shores. Throughout the country, 21 beaches and two marinas have been awarded the Blue Flag of environmental excellence by the Foundation for Environmental Education.

FIFTH JERUSALEM WRITERS FESTIVAL WELCOMES WORLD- RENOWNED AUTHORS

The fifth Jerusalem Writers Festival, taking place from May 25-28, 2016, will feature lectures, conversations and workshops with dozens of acclaimed writers from Israel and around the world. The four-day event will also offer musical performances, children's activities and tours. Top featured authors will include: Irish novelist Colum McCann; Iranian-French writer Lila Azam Zanganeh; award-winning mother-daughter team from India, Anita and Kiran Desai; celebrated Colombian author Juan Gabriel Vásquez; and Mai Jia, a former Chinese intelligence officer and current bestselling author in China.   (Photo Credit: Xu Xiaolin) To buy tickets to the event, click here.

The Latest Travel News From Israel

THE LATEST TRAVEL NEWS FROM ISRAEL  israel.travel #VisitIsrael

ISRAEL DRAWS CROWDS FOR EASTER Tens of thousands of Christians are celebrating Holy Week this week in Israel, leading up to Easter, to visit the places described in the New Testament firsthand. The Catholic Holy Week officially began on March 20th with the celebration of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Highlights of the day included the solemn mass at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher with the Blessing of the Palms and the traditional palm procession. The celebration continued from the church of Bethphage down the western slope of the Mount of Olives across the Kidron Valley and into the Old City of Jerusalem.   Find more information here.   NEW 'BEHIND THE MASK' EXHIBIT OPENS AT THE BIBLE LANDS MUSEUM Opening in time for Purim is the new "Behind the Mask" exhibition at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem. The exhibit is part of a new initiative at BLMJ called "Community Curates" that allows the public to dust off their treasures and put them on display for all to see. "Behind the Mask" features both ancient and modern masks from all continents and collectors all over Israel. Special guided tours, family-friendly activities and programming is available throughout the day. The exhibit will be on display until September 2016.   Find more information here.  AMERICAN TOURISM TO ISRAEL UP 7% IN FEBRUARY 2015 was the best year ever for American tourism to Israel and the trend is continuing in 2016, with a 7% increase in January and February 2016, compared to the same period last year. "We're very encouraged by this positive statistic," says Uri Steinberg, Israel Tourism Commissioner for North America, "and it bodes very well for the remainder of the year."    ISRAELI HIKER STRIKES GOLD:  2,000-YEAR-OLD ROMAN COIN FOUND IN ISRAEL While hiking in eastern Galilee, Israeli Laurie Rimon discovered a gold coin so rare that archeologists say it may be one of only two of its kind in existence. The coin shows Emperor Augustus, founder of the Roman Empire and Caesar's heir. The other side is minted with Roman military legions. According to Israeli archeologists, it was created by Emperor Trajan to honor the Roman Emperors who reigned before him. The coin was difficult to use due to its high value - it was worth enough to cover a soldier's monthly salary. The Israel Antiquities Authority's plan is to publicly display the extraordinary artifact in museums soon. (Photo Credit: Israel Antiquities Authority) EPIC ISRAEL HOSTS ULTIMATE MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE FOR PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR RIDERS Epic Israel will challenge professional and amateur riders to the limit with a full board stage mountain bike race with long routes through spectacular views of nature. The 75- to 110-kilometer route changes annually, giving riders a challenging and versatile mountain biking experience with the goal of finishing the race within the time limit. The race will take place this year from September 29-October 1.    Find more information here.  INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY FESTIVAL GEEK PICNIC TO TAKE PLACE IN JERUSALEM Geek Picnic, the international science and technology festival, makes its Israeli debut April 25-27 at Jerusalem's Sacher Park, a 40-acre green expanse in the city center. The event is geared towards tech and science professionals and science enthusiasts of all ages who are fans of gadgets, gaming, virtual-reality experiences and wearable tech. Approximately 45,000 visitors are expected to attend the three-day celebration of technological innovation, which will feature exhibits devoted to "The Lightning Show," "The Hand of God," "The World of 3D Printing," "Virtual Reality," "My Android Friend," "An Airborne Duel" and more.   Find more information here.  FIRST INTERNATIONAL HOLY LAND CHOIR FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED The First International Holy Land Choir Festival "On The Lake" will take place on the shores of the Sea of Galilee from May 16-18, 2016. Choirs from around the world have been invited to participate with Israeli conductor and composer David Loden as the Musical Coordinator of the Festival. The theatrical backdrop for the festival is the impressive Berko Archaeological Park where the Southern Gate and walls of the Roman City can be seen.   Find more information here. ICE RETURNS TO JERUSALEMYAMBAKERECH 2016 YambaKerach, an indoor skating rink, will be an added attraction for visitors at Cinema City through April 30, 2016. The ice skating rink offers children and the entire family an amazing, hands-on experience that includes "seals" to enable younger children to move about the rink in a seated position, with the help of their parents.   Find more information here. THRILLER LIVE MUSICAL COMES TO TEL AVIV AND HAIFA Michael Jackson's legacy lives on with the Thriller Live musical. The show celebrates the music of The Jackson 5 and the solo work of Jackson that made him the King of Pop. The musical will open in Israel on May 19 at the Heichal HaTarbut theater in Tel Aviv. There will be a total of eight shows in Tel Aviv from May 19-24, and another show in Haifa on May 26. Find more information here.  UNESCO RECOGNIZES BET SHE'ARIM AS 15TH WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN ISRAEL UNESCO declared the Necropolis of Bet She'arimin in the area southeast of the city of Haifa as a World Heritage Site in 2015 - making it the ninth site in Israel to hold this distinctive and prestigious certification. Bet She'arim became a renowned Jewish center due to the presence of the spiritual leader Rabbi Judah Hanasi, head of the Sanhedrin. Visitors can explore this and other World Heritage Sites in Israel on a daily basis throughout the year.  (Photo Credit: Israel Nature and Parks Authority) Find more information here. A 75-DAY JOURNEY ALONG THE ISRAEL NATIONAL TRAIL BEGINS MARCH 25TH Starting March 25, 2016, backpackers from Israel and abroad will embark on a 75-day adventure walking the Israel National Trail with non-profit organization WalkAboutLove. Beginning in Eilat, the scenic trail winds through the Mitzpe Ramon Crater, the Arava Desert and the Negev, up to Jerusalem, Caesarea, the lush Galilee and the Golan Heights, finally ending at Mount Hermon. WalkAboutLove offers those interested in Israeli culture the incredible opportunity to discover the country through a combination of nature, culture, history and unique traditions. Find more information here. TEL AVIV SAMSUNG MARATHON 2016 A HUGE SUCCESS! The 2016 Tel Aviv Marathon, which took place on February 29th, has been lauded as a huge success, welcoming some 40,000 runners from Israel and abroad participating in the nation's biggest international sports event. Celebrating the nonstop party life, the run began in Tel Aviv, along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and into the historical city of Jaffa. The runners crossed the finish line to a lively music celebration at Ganey Yehoshua. The winner, William Kiprono Yegon from Kenya, finished the race in 02:10:51. The 2017 marathon is scheduled to take place on February 24, 2017.  (Photo Credit: Ronen Topelberg) Find photos from the Tel Aviv Marathon here.