MONTREAL — Bienvenue.
That’s the greeting the Israel Government Tourist Office (IGTO) is extending to Quebecers and other francophone Canadians through its new French-language website.
The site is designed specifically for the Canadian market, Jewish and, most importantly, non-Jewish. It’s more than a translation of the existing English websites geared to Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and it differs somewhat from the one for France.
“It was long overdue,” Jerry Adler, the IGTO manager of marketing and public relations, said of the creation of the site. The IGTO has had an English website for many years, and it revamped its English Canadian one last year.
While geared to any French-speaking Canadian, the IGTO is aware that Quebec, with its strong Catholic tradition, represents a potential source of many more tourists.
Accessible at www.goisrael.ca, the website offers information on Israel’s history, government, geography, people and culture, as well as tips on how to plan a trip to Israel. Visitors to the site will learn that 25 per cent of Israelis speak French, and the site includes a Hebrew-French glossary of words and phrases that are useful to tourists.
“This website will create a new window to Israel for Québécois and for francophones across Canada, which will undoubtedly help foster greater understanding about this young country and its rich history, diversity and beautiful landscape,” Yoram Elron, Israel’s consul general in Montreal, said at the official launch.
“It was imperative for us to create this French-language site to improve our ability to reach out and address the needs of Canada’s francophone communities, the majority of whom reside in Quebec,” said Oded Grofman, director of the IGTO’s Canadian office, which is based in Toronto.
The number of Quebecers travelling to Israel is not negligible.
Grofman said 30 per cent of the 60,000 visitors from Canada to Israel last year came from Quebec. Overall, 60 per cent of the Canadians were Christians, but only about one-fifth of them could be categorized as pilgrims or motivated by religious reasons.
The website devotes considerable attention to Israel’s being a land holy to Christians. A search revealed that the word “Christ” appears 27 times and the word “Jesus” 19 times on the site’s pages.
The land’s significance to Muslims is also not ignored. The Prophet Muhammad, it is recorded, ascended to Paradise from Jerusalem, according to Islamic belief, and Jerusalem is one of the faith’s three sacred cities.
The site also contains information on flights to Israel from Quebec, as well as information about travel agents and tour operators in the province with knowledge of Israeli tourism.
Ideas are offered on tailoring a trip to specific interests, whether they be religious, health-oriented, business-related or in a relaxing and interesting vacation.
Besides its unique history and religious character, Israel is portrayed as a country with fine restaurants, spas, vibrant arts and great shopping.
The response has already been encouraging, Adler said. “We’ve had numerous inquiries from the public and travel industry since the launch.”
Several years ago, the IGTO was thinking of opening an office in Montreal. Adler said that idea has not been abandoned.
“The website is stage one,” he said.
