Israel

Director Dan Danziger

Discover the World Marketing since 2002
Co-Owner and Managing Director, Peace Air & Aviation Services Ltd.
Managing Director for Western Europe, MAOF
General Manager & Station Manager Israel, Pan American World Airways
Station Manager Israel, Delta Airlines

Contact Details

Address:	Discover the World Marketing 14 Hasharon Street
City:	Tel Aviv
Postal Code:	66185
Country:	Israel
Telephone:	+972.3.560.1616
Fax:	+972.3.560.1636
Email:	dan@discover-israel.com

Description of Market

Travel Industry Facts and Figures

Total # of travel agencies: 422 IATA Agents; there is no exact # of NON-IATA agents and they are very few

# of hime-baesd agencies: Have no information for the exact #; guess around 10%

Distribution channels Tour Operators

This market is controlled by a major chain of tour operators (approximately 8 of them) who are very well known and Discover has
good working relations with each of them. The Israeli tour operators deal with organized tour groups and FIT traffic providing custom land arrangements that meet different market segment needs. The tour operators have full control of the flights involved only when they sell organized tours or when they win a bid issued by Israeli companies/organizations/associations for their employees’ travel. In such cases the flight is an integral part of the tour package. The influence and buying power of these tour operators, when dealing with the airlines, has been dramatically reduced since unlike in the past, only 10-12% of the traffic moves in groups while the bulk of the traffic is FIT ticketed by travel agents who might purchase from the tour operator the land arrangements for their passenger.

The Israeli tour operators have also lost their past function as consolidators for the airlines when most of the airline ticketing was channelled through them. The tour operators have a much better market share and influence on the air transportation when long haul/unfamiliar destinations are involved (i.e. certain countries in Asia/South East Asia, coast to coast U.S.A and Canada). Some of the tour operators such as NATUR, UNITAL, DIESENHAUS, YOSSI TOURS and TZABAR have moved a significant part of their group business to European and US destinations from scheduled carriers to their sister company, the charter carrier ISRAIR who forms part of the GANDAN group. By making this move they are supporting their own group, reducing the flight cost within their tour packages and regaining FIT market share by hiding the flight cost within Fly & Stay packages. These operators are focusing more on direct sales through a call centre and internet sales. Travel agents perceive it as a direct threat to their own business and react by cutting business with the GANDAN group.

Top producers in the Israeli market

· ISSTA/Histour-Eltiv/American Express – Youth/student traffic, sport groups, incentives, FIT and corporate traffic, and with over 70 offices countrywide

· Disenhause/Unitours/Terminal 1/Express Tours – tour operator with chain of travel agencies, with over 34 offices countrywide.

· Ophir Tours – tour operator with chain of travel agencies, 27 offices countrywide

· Mona Tours/Flying Carpet – tour operator with chain of travel agencies, 18 offices countrywide

· LachishTours – FIT and corporate traffic, 12 offices countrywide

· Signal Travel – FIT, groups, incentives and corporate traffic, 8 offices countrywide.

· Ofakim – FIT, groups, incentives and corporate traffic, 6 offices countrywide.

· Natour – one of the leading tour operators in the country

· Rimon – tour operator

· Pegasus – one of the leading tour operators specializing with South and Central America traffic.

· Aviation Links and Unital- both specializing in budget vacations using mainly charter flights to/from Israel.

Top 20 companies in Israel for Corporate Traffic Approach

TEVA Pharmaceuticals