Information released Monday by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics indicates that Israel has set a new record for incoming tourism in the first five months of the year, the previous high having been set in 2010. According to the data, 1.4 million visitors arrived between January and May 2012, a six percent increase from the same period in 2011 and 4% more than in 2010, which holds the previous record. Of these visitors, 1.2 million were tourists, 3% more than the corresponding period last year.

In May of this year, another record was set, with approximately 321,000 visitors arriving in Israel. That's four percent more than the previous monthly record of 308,000 reached in the months of May 2010 and 2011. About 269,000 tourists (those spending more than one night in Israel) arrived last month, 1% more than the previous record set in May 2011.

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov praised this latest achievement, saying that "the consistent increase in incoming tourism and the new record highs prove that the investment in the industry contributes to increased income for the economy and creates tens of thousands of new jobs."

"Against the background of the ongoing global economic crisis, the importance of investment in engines for growth becomes sharper and tourism is a central player in maintaining the robust Israeli economy."