February 5- 7, 2001 Tel Aviv, Israel

Dear Colleague,

IMTM 2000, the sixth International Mediterranean Tourism Market, will take place at the Israel Trade Fairs & Exhibition Center, Tel Aviv, February 7-9, 2000, under the auspices of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, El Al Israel Airlines, the Israel Hotel Association and the Association for Tourism Tel Aviv-Jaffa.

As in the past, IMTM is being organized by ORTRA, one of Israel’s major congress and exhibition organizers, and by Israel Travel News Ltd., Israel’s only major tourism publishing house.

204 exhibitors took part in IMTM ’99, and in just about every category, figures for 1999 evinced a growth of more than 20 percent over similar statistics for 1998.

Official statistics of the World Tourism Organization indicate that more than 2,500,000 Israelis travel abroad annually - more than from all the other countries of the region combined. With each passing year, the number of countries and tourism enterprises from abroad that chose IMTM as a worthwhile venue for showcasing their offerings and exposing their products to the Israeli traveling public, continues to grow.

Only at IMTM will you be able to meet the Israeli traveling public - on a per capita basis, one of the most widely traveled in the entire world - to interest this promising market in your destination and introduce it to your new programs and special attractions.

Alongside this growing interest in the Israeli public, incoming tourism to Israel and the other countries of the region is still a primary focus for IMTM. In recent times, foreign involvement in Israel tourism, along with investments from abroad, have been developing at an unprecedented pace. Now, with the dawn of the new millennium, and when hopes are being rekindled for a solution to the political problems that have plagued the region for the past 50 years, the time has come to look at this market in the light of its true potential.

1999 marked the start of year 2000 tourism activities in the Holy Land and IMTM ’99 was the Israel Ministry of Tourism’s first tourism event of the millennium - a period of nearly two years, during which, even according to conservative estimates, the number of tourists visiting Israel will just about double. This growth is sure to set the stage for a decade of unprecedented tourism development in the country, and perhaps in the region as well. What better way to make the millennium year, take the pulse of what is happening in the country, meet with suppliers and get a head start on the market!

Ministries of Tourism, government agencies and national tourism associations, cities, regional associations, resort and holiday sites, active holiday destinations, hotels, car rental companies, airlines, cruise lines, tour bus companies, limousine services and all other suppliers from Israel and from neighboring countries are invited to participate and to showcase their products.

Buyers from abroad will be invited to attend by the organizers - in cooperation with EL AL and the overseas branches of the Ministry of Tourism’s IGTO (Israel Government Tourist Office). They will include foreign travel agents and tour operators, as well as decision makers from ethnic and other associations around the world.

All Israeli travel agents and tour operators are invited to attend, as well as representatives of Israeli organizations and associations connected with one aspect or another of domestic tourism. Israeli tour operators involved in outgoing tourism will perform a dual role at the fair - serving as buyers vis a vis exhibitors from visiting countries, as well as suppliers to the local market.

The Israeli public will also be encouraged to attend, to see what is on offer and to help them plan their holidays in Israel and abroad.

Both El AL and hotels in the area will offer reduced rates and pre-and post IMTM tours in Israel will be available.

Attached please find detailed information on how to participate in IMTM 2000, We hope you will join us for the Millennium 2000 celebrations and a fair that promises to be an exciting and rewarding event.

 Yours sincerely,

Lior Gelfand,  Managing Director,  Ortra Ltd.	Eyal Shmueli,  Publisher & Editor-in-Chief,  Israel Travel News Ltd.