As for flights abroad, Israeli recorded 4.7 million trips in 2013 (a 9% increase from 2012), 4.3 million of them by air (up 10%), while trips through border crossings (to Jordan and Egypt) saw a 3% drop.
December sees new record too
December 2013 recorded 272,000 entries (a 14% increase from December 2012), 241,000 of them were tourist entries (a 24% increase from December 2012) – an all-time record.
Tourism Minister Dr. Uzi Landau said, "The year 2013 is a record year for tourism and we are proud of that. Despite Operation Pillar of Defense and the security situation in the region, tourists voted with their feet.
"The Tourism Ministry will continue to invest in maintaining the numbers of tourists arriving in Israel, by opening new markets and actively marketing the tourism product around the world. I wish all tourists a happy 2014."