Ansamed

(ANSAmed) - JERUSALEM, NOVEMBER 15 - There are now two Youtube television channels run by Israel's Tourism Ministry to attract Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land and supply them with useful information, suggestions and travel tips. A statement released by the ministry says that the initiative is part of a new budget of 60 million shekels (12 million euros) laid out by the government for online tourism promotion aimed at potential Christian visitors, a fundamental component of the tourism make up of Israel (and of the Palestinian Territories), the consolidation of which appears to be decisive in increasing and reviving the influx in the country, recent efforts suggest.

The latest project, which begins in the next few days, is the new Christian Youtube channel, which is designed for Christians of all denominations and is available in various languages (Russian, now the language of the majority of pilgrims recorded every year, English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Polish and Japanese).

The channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/HolyLandVisit?blend=22&ob=5) will offer useful information and feature short videos recorded by clerics, leaders of religious groups and simple tourists recounting their experiences at the holy sites of Jerusalem and the surrounding area.

The website adds to an existing Youtube initiative by the Tourism Ministry, which serves the Catholic community (http://www.youtube.com/user/HolylandPilgrimage?ob=5) and already has more than 750,000 users.

"These new websites will help to spread information, but also messages on the special spiritual significance of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land," said the Tourism Minister, Stas Misezhnikov, adding that the ministry sees Christian visitors today as the "key market target to incentivise visits" to Israel.(ANSAmed).