Israelis pick NY as favorite vacation spot
Survey reveals Israeli travelers favor Thailand rather over European destinations like London and Barcelona. Turkish Airlines named most popular foreign airline in Israel
The second place went to Thailand, which was picked by 18% of the poll's respondents.
Despite requiring a shorter flight, European destinations lagged behind: London and Barcelona ranked third with 10% of the votes, followed by Rome, Berlin and Prague. The Greek islands and Turkey were next on the list.
Nonetheless, Turkish Airlines was chosen as the most popular foreign airline operating in Israel. Many Israelis prefer to fly abroad with the Turkish company due to its wide selection of connecting flights and the competitive prices it offers.
A breakdown according to age groups revealed that New York was selected as the favorite travel destination by most ages. Thailand, on the other hand, remained in the second place among Israelis up to the age of 29, but fell to the fourth place among Israelis over the age of 50.
The survey was held among 500 people over the age of 18 representing the adult Jewish population in Israel. It was conducted by the Smith Institute ahead of the International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM), which will be held next month at the Israel Trade Fairs and Convention Center in Tel Aviv.
The poll's results were confirmed by travel agents attending the annual meeting of the Israel Tourist and Travel Agents Association.
"Thailand has become a popular destination among all types of Israeli travelers," said Eyal Shmueli, one of the founders of the IMTM. "The real secret of Thailand's charm is that everyone wants to go back there after their first visit."
The IMTM will be held for the 20th year on February 11 and 12. Representatives from 41 countries and some 100 companies in the tourism and aviation field are expected to take part in the event.
Turkey, which until two years ago had the biggest pavilion in the fair, decided not to participate this year due to Israelis' boycott of the country and the drop in its activity in Israel.
