JERUSALEM, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Israel aims to double the number of foreign tourists to 4 million over the next five years by spending $250 million on marketing, the Ministry of Tourism said on Thursday. Tourism is a key industry for Israel, but tourism numbers fell during the July-August war with Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon. Some 1.9 million tourists visited Israel in 2005 and numbers have begun to rise again after the war. Consultants Ernst & Young have now presented the Jewish state with its first comprehensive tourism plan to try to significantly boost visitors, the ministry said in a statement. The Ernst & Young report said despite Israel's political and security situation, Israel could launch a successful campaign by focusing on eight countries including the United States, Britain, Russia and China. Other recommendations included making it easier for commercial and charter flights to come to Israel and revamping hotels by attracting international hotel chains and more foreign investment in the industry. "The ministry will implement the plan, by spending $50 million a year on a worldwide marketing campaign," a spokeswoman for Tourism Minister Isaac Herzog said. The budget will more than double the amount of money Israel has spent in past years on marketing.
