Jerusalem, Israel -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/23/2011 -- In advance of the finals of the New7Wonders of Nature campaign on 11.11.11 in which the Dead Sea is competing against 27 other finalists, the Knesset Speaker Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin and the Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov will launch the new Dead Sea coin minted by the Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation and vote for the Dead Sea in the online campaign.

The event will take place in the bureau of the Knesset Speaker tomorrow, Monday 16 May at 13:30.
Over a billion people are expected to vote in the campaign, with the lowest point on earth requiring an estimated 300-400 million votes. To this end, the Tourism Ministry is leading a far-reaching NIS 8 million international campaign to promote the Dead Sea's candidacy. It is estimated that a win for the Dead Sea would lead to a significant increase of hundreds of thousands of additional incoming tourists and the creation of thousands of new jobs.
The Knesset Speaker has also joined the campaign and is expected to speak about the Dead Sea in his opening address on Monday for the summer session. According to Rivlin: "This is a significant national challenge, the government has allocated considerable resources and we too, in the Knesset, will do all we can to recruit public opinion in favor of the Dead Sea, based on the understanding that this is also a challenge with real economic ramifications. The Dead Sea is an exceptional part of the world with unique landscapes and characteristics and a leading tourism anchor for Israel.  I call on all Knesset members and every citizen to rise to this challenge, to vote and make a difference for the benefit of the Dead Sea as one of the new seven natural wonders of the world – an issue that is beyond any disagreement.'

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov: "There is enormous significance in both economic and image terms for the State of Israel should the Dead Sea win an international campaign with over one billion voters. The Israeli government will work together to promote the Dead Sea win in the six months that remain until the end of the campaign."
 
Journalists wishing to attend the event should register TODAY to tourism.gov.il@gmail.com with name, GPO no. and media outlet.

The Dead Sea is one of the finalists in the Seven Natural Wonders of the World campaign.
Come see the Dead Sea like never before on the Dead Sea http://www.votedeadsea.comhttp://www.votedeadsea.com
Join our Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/VoteDeadSeahttp://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/VoteDeadSea to support the dead sea in the new7wonders campaign.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Jerusalem, Israel -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/06/2011 -- TOURISM MINISTER STAS MISEZHNIKOV: "THERE IS ENORMOUS SIGNIFICANCE IN BOTH ECONOMIC AND IMAGE TERMS SHOULD THE DEAD SEA WIN AN INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN WITH OVER ONE BILLION VOTERS; IN THE SIX MONTHS THAT REMAIN UNTIL THE END OF THE CAMPAIGN, THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT WILL WORK TOGETHER TO PROMOTE THE DEAD SEA WIN"

As part of the activities to promote the Dead Sea's candidacy in the campaign, which ends on 11.11.11, the Tourism Minister recommended the establishment of a steering committee headed by the Tourism Ministry D-G Noaz Bar-Nir and with the participation of representatives from the relevant government ministries, which will initiate and implement activities to promote the selection of the Dead Sea. NIS 8.75 million would be allocated to marketing the campaign in Israel and overseas (with half the budget coming from the Tourism Ministry.

The selection of the Dead Sea as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature is expected to have significant social and economic consequences; primarily an increase in the numbers of tourists visiting Israel in general and the Dead Sea in particular; increased job opportunities for residents of the Negev, higher income from tourism and the economic development of the area. It should be noted that this decision is consistent with the government's decision to promote the periphery, with all that entails.

Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov: "There is enormous significance in both economic and image terms for the State of Israel should the Dead Sea win an international campaign with over one billion voters. The Israeli government should work together to promote the Dead Sea win in the six months that remain until the end of the campaign."

According to estimates, the Dead Sea – which is sponsored jointly in the campaign by Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority – needs between 300-400 million votes in order to secure a place as one of the seven finalists. The New7Wonders Foundation, which initiated the campaign, expects about a billion people to vote by the close of the campaign on 11.11.11.

The Dead Sea - the lowest place on earth, the saltiest lake in the world and a unique geological area rich in history, religion and health attributes - was selected from 420 natural sites around the world and is considered to be a favorite. Competitors among the 28 finalists include the Amazon River, the Galapagos Islands, the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef and the Maldives.

The Tourism Ministry, the official Supporting Committee for the Dead Sea, is promoting the Dead Sea voting via its 11 offices overseas, dedicated websites in 8 languages (http://www.votedeadsea.com and http://www.goisrael.com) , at tourism fairs and in a multi-faceted international marketing campaign that includes social media: (http://www.facebook.com/VoteDeadSea http://www.twitter.com/votedeadsea http://www.youtube.com/user/VoteDeadSea )

In addition, the ministry is promoting cooperation with opinion-formers in Israel and
overseas, as well as with Jewish and Christian communities around the world.

The Dead Sea is one of the finalists in the Seven Natural Wonders of the World campaign.
Come see the Dead Sea like never before on the Dead Sea Website for the new7wonders campaign.
Join our Facebook group to support the dead sea in the new7wonders campaign.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Jerusalem, Israel -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2011 -- This year, IMTM –the annual International Mediterranean Tourism Market to be held 8-9 February 2011 at the Israel Trade Fairs and Convention Center in Tel Aviv – will spotlight voting for the Dead Sea in the New7Wonders campaign.

Organizers of IMTM are promoting the Dead Sea global voting campaign, featuring it in advertisements for the event and other activities within the IMTM show areas. At the opening ceremony, awards for People of the Year in Tourism will be conferred on key people in Israeli culture and tourism, including members of the Israel Opera and the Dead Sea regional councils. Against all odds, they created the Israel Opera Festival at the foot of Masada in June 2010. The largest cultural event ever staged in Israel, Nabucco at Masada featured a specially-erected stage, amphitheater and foyer which attracted thousands of opera-lovers from Israel and overseas to the Dead Sea region. The 2011 festival will feature the opera Aida at Masada, as well as additional opera performances in Jerusalem.

The New7Wonders of Nature campaign was launched in 2007, with the initial participation of 440 sites from 220 countries. Over a billion votes are expected to be cast in the campaign. The Dead Sea is one of 28 finalists, with the final results due to be announced on 11.11.11. Voting can take place the website (www.n7w.com) or by sending an SMS to the number 2244 with the words "Dead Sea."

Eyal Shmueli, publisher and editor-in-chief of Israel Travel News magazine, and one of the architects of IMTM says: "The Dead Sea's participation in the campaign's final stage is a tremendous milestone in establishing Israel as a tourism magnet; it marks the growing recognition that the Dead Sea is enjoying. Apart from the honor that Israel would get by winning, taking part also has major significance for regional development, creating jobs in the Eastern Negev, demographic growth, and important implications for developing the State of Israel. So at IMTM we have taken on the task of helping the Dead Sea to be chosen as one of the 7 new wonders of nature and we all hope that we'll pull it off."

The Dead Sea is one of the finalists in the Seven Natural Wonders of the World campaign.
Come see the Dead Sea like never before:
http://www.votedeadsea.com/
Join our Facebook group:
http://facebook.com/votedeadsea

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm