Hostels seek support for backpackers from Tourism Ministry

Hostel owners say Tourism Ministry is mistaken in neglecting budget travelers
“Private hostel owners around the country insist that the tourism industry could benefit from better accommodating backpackers.”

"Israel's Ministry of Tourism is making a mistake by not taking backpackers more seriously," said Maoz Inon, part-owner of two hostels in Israel and the co-founder of Israel Hostels, a coalition of 32 hostels around the country. "They... offer benefits that traditional tourists don't."
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Private hostel owners note that backpackers are also good for the Israeli economy as a whole. Compared to traditional tourists, backpackers travel more widely and spend more money in the community, they say.

Sadly it sounds like their arguments may be falling on deaf ears.

The Tourism Ministry does not deny these benefits, but its main focus remains on big, proven markets, even in the off-season, says Tini Shani, the Tourism Ministry's deputy director of marketing administration. Shani says the Tourism Ministry's 17 branches spend about NIS 270 million a year on marketing, much of it directed toward affluent residents of North America, Russia and Germany.

"We are very glad for every person who is coming to Israel," Shani said. "But at the end of the day, we are counting money. According to our theories and research, backpackers are not the best source of income."

That doesn’t stop the hostels from trying to make a difference on their own.

In the absence of additional government assistance, Israel's private hostels have built their own backpacking infrastructure. Israel Hostels, founded in 2006, sets standards for its members and offers sleekly branded travel information and booking services in print and online.
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Such efforts appear to be paying off. In 2011, the percentage of people staying in hostels more than doubled and Israel Hostels bookings increased by 35 percent, according to Bureau of Statistics and Israel Hostel records.

Private hostel owners suggest that these results demonstrate the potential of the backpacking market.