Tourism Report Israel unaffordable for foreign tourists Danny Sadeh With rise in hotel prices, drop in purchasing power and poor attitude towards foreign visitors, Israel plunges to 53rd place in World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report Israel unaffordable for foreign tourists

Tel Aviv is the 24th most expensive city in terms of the total cost per night for businesspeople, the 2013 Corporate Travel Index shows,

The figures, which do not include US cities, reflect the average cost of one hotel room per night, three meals and minor miscellaneous costs. According to the data, it appears that restaurant food is not so expensive in Israel – at least not for tourists.





Tel Aviv 24th in cost of accommodation (photo from Business Travel News)

The figures, compiled by travel management company BCD Travel and New York-based management firm Mercer and published by Business Travel News, consist of the average cost of a four-star hotel room, two taxi fares, a newspaper, a bottle of water and a magazine.

World's most expensive city

The food costs were calculated according to the January 2013 pricing for a hotel continental breakfast; lunches of a sandwich, salad and a non-alcoholic drink; and dinners of a fish, chicken or beef entrée, salad and a non-alcoholic beverage.

According to this calculation, which does not include US cities, the most expensive city in the world is Tokyo with an average cost of $548 per night - $328 in hotel costs and $220 for three meals.

Geneva ranked second with an average cost of $539 per night - $348 in hotel costs and $191 for three meals. Hong Kong and Oslo ranked third with an average cost of $522 per night, yet in Hong Kong hotel prices are more expensive ($320), while in Oslo food costs more ($220).





Businesspeople to pay $424 on average per night in Tel Aviv (Photo: AP)

Tel Aviv ranked 24th, with the average total cost per night for businesspeople standing at $424 – $299 in hotel costs and $125 for three meals.

Tel Aviv is less expensive than Moscow ($501), London ($494), Paris ($494), Copenhagen ($458), Basel ($457), but more expensive than Amsterdam ($422), Brussels ($413), Frankfurt ($401), Rome ($399), Vienna ($353), Beijing ($350), Toronto ($349), Berlin ($341), Montreal ($335), Dusseldorf ($331), Prague ($308) and Budapest ($269).

Most expensive city in US

The study also includes data about many cities in the United States, although the calculation of food costs there is slightly different, mainly due to the different menus.

According to the figures, the most expensive city in the US is New York with an average cost of $421 per night, followed by Washington DC ($421), San Francisco ($411), Boston ($386) and Chicago ($399).

Combining the two charts, Tel Aviv is in the overall 25th place.

The calculation of the cost of meals in the US include a breakfast of two eggs, meat, toast, orange juice and coffee; a lunch of soup, a hamburger or chicken sandwich, a slice of pie and a soft drink; and a dinner of soup, filet steak, a glass of red wine, dessert, and a cup of coffee. The listed costs do not include tax but do include a 15% gratuity.