Unyaka ka-2009 ngokuqinisekileyo uya kuphela ngetotali emalunga ne-2.5 yezigidi zabakhenkethi abangene kwa-Israel - inani elithe, ngokudanisa abanini beehotele kunye namalungu oshishino lwezokhenketho, lifana kakhulu nelo lirekhodwa minyaka le kule minyaka ilishumi idlulileyo. Ngamanye amazwi, ukhenketho oluya kwaSirayeli lufikelele ethafeni.
Kwiinyanga ezimbalwa ezidlulileyo, ngelixa iNkulumbuso uBenjamin Netanyahu wayezama ukudibanisa imbumba, i-Israel Hotel Association (IHA) yenza intetho eyavula ngesibongozo, "Mnu. Inkulumbuso, kukho ubutyebi obufihliweyo kwaSirayeli. Lo ngumthombo okude nokuba uphuhliswe, onexabiso kwaye unokubakho, ubutyebi obunokwandisa ukukhula nengqesho – ukhenketho!”
Kodwa ixesha likaNetanyahu alikaluphuculi ukhenketho, nangona kunyuswa uhlahlo lwabiwo-mali lwentengiso kumazwe aphesheya kunye nenani elikhulu lakwaSirayeli lezenkolo, izinto zakudala kunye nezendalo, ezinomtsalane kubakhenkethi.
Esinye isizathu soku kukuba abakhenkethi ngokuqhelekileyo bafuna iindawo ezinoxolo. Ke, iimfazwe kunye nohlaselo lobugrogrisi lugcina abakhenkethi bezibuza ukuba ngaba i-Israel iya kukhuseleka na ngexesha leholide yabo ecetyiweyo, kwaye abaninzi bayalubona utyelelo.
Idatha esuka kwiCentral Bureau of Statistics ibonisa umonakalo owenziwe kukungazinzi kwengingqi kushishino lwezokhenketho kwaSirayeli. Ngo-1999 bangaphezu kwezigidi ezi-2.5 abakhenkethi abatyelela i-Israel besuka phesheya, kwaye kwiinyanga ezisithoba zokuqala zowama-2000 bekukho abangeneleli abazizigidi ezi-2.6.
Nangona kunjalo, ngo-Okthobha wama-2000, ekuqhambukeni kwe-Intifada yesibini kunye nezidubedube zasekuhlaleni zama-Arabhu, ukhenketho kwaSirayeli lwaye lwanqumama ngokupheleleyo. Ngo-2001, inani labangeneleli lalilincinci le-1.2 yezigidi. Njengoko ukungabikho kozinzo kwakuphumela ku-2002, inani labangeneleli liye laya lityibilika, kwaye ngabantu abangama-882,000 kuphela abatyelela i-Israel ngaloo nyaka.
U-Ami Etgar, i-CEO ye-Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association (IITOA), uthi nangona imiba yokhuseleko ingumqobo omkhulu kushishino lokhenketho, ezinye izinto zenza kube nzima kumaqela amakhulu ukutyelela kwaSirayeli.
“KwaSirayeli phantse akukho makhonkco ehotele kumazwe ngamazwe kuba oosomashishini abasuka kumazwe angaphandle abakuthandi ukutyala imali (eli lizwe),” utshilo. U-Etgar uthi iminyaka embalwa yoxolo kufuneka idlule ukuze kutsalwe abatyali-mali. “Kodwa ubukhulu becala (oosomashishini) bafuna uncedo ekususeni imiqobo yolawulo,” utshilo.
Omnye umqobo kukhenketho olungenayo liSebe lezangaphakathi, utshilo u-Etgar. Uthi: “Kwiiveki ezimbalwa ezidlulileyo iqela loosomashishini abali-15 bekufanele lifike apha livela eTurkey. “Inkampani yabo yokuhamba yayifuna ukubafumana ii-visa zokuya kwaSirayeli, kodwa iSebe Lezangaphakathi lafuna idiphozithi ye-NIS 50,000 ($13,200).
Omnye umba wemali nawo ubangela iingxaki kumaqela amakhulu – oko kukuthi amaxabiso aphezulu abizwa ziihotele. Ngenxa yokuba amaqela amaninzi ekhenketha eJordan nase-Egypt ngexesha lotyelelo lwawo, akhetha ukuchitha ubusuku kula mazwe, apho ububele bufikeleleka ngexabiso eliphantsi.
“Ngowe-1987 abakhenkethi abazizigidi ezisisi-1.5 beza kwaSirayeli, kwaza kwarekhodwa indawo yokuhlala ehotele ezizigidi ezisisi-8.3,” utshilo uEtgar. “Ngo-2009 kuya kubakho abakhenkethi abazizigidi ezi-2.5 abafikayo, kodwa inani leendawo zokuhlala ehotele alizodlula kwi-8 yezigidi. Oku kuthetha okuninzi. "
