From agents to tour operators and beyond, Israel is committed to expanding visitation from Canada.

That was the message at a Toronto hotel gathering on Monday night, as travel industry types gathered to welcome the new Consul Director for Canada for the Government of Israel Tourism Minister, Gal Hana.

“We want to cooperate closely with our Canadian friends on all levels,” Hana told TravelPulse Canada. “We realize that agents are the experts. They know how to sell Israel and they know how to influence travel decisions.”

Hana said the last person to hold his position left a few years ago. But the Tourism Ministry realizes the importance of the Canadian market now more than ever.

“Sometimes things are quite good and you take them for granted,” he said. “But the Canadian market is huge for Israel, so we want to renew our contacts and our networks.”

Recent campaigns talked about visiting Israel as a whole. But the new campaigns, which were showed off to last night’s guests with spiffy videos, focus more on individual regions, such as Tel Aviv for city getaways, the Negev Desert for adventure and Jerusalem for faith-based visits.

“There has been a ton of new investment,” Hana said. “In the Dead Sea area alone there’s been $300 million invested to elevate the destination with new hotels and other features.”

As well as seeking individual and multi-generational tourism, Israel is in the market for more MICE business, he said.

A great deal of investment also has taken place in the resort area of Eilat, where you’ll find amazing beaches, snorkelling and other attractions that might surprise some visitors.

“You can stay in a beautiful tent at a Bedouin camp in the desert or a luxury hotel in the city.”

“We’re not just selling tourism,” Hana said in a short talk to assembled guests. “We want to make the world a better place. We’re building bridges between people, between religions.”

A visit to Israel is an obvious choice in an age where people are seeking more authentic travel experiences, he said at a meeting at the Yorkdale Holiday Inn in Toronto.

“People want more than just a trip.”

One cool program is called Eatwith, where visitors can dine with and get to know Israeli locals.

There are tons of direct flights to Israel every day, Hana said, including flights from Toronto with Air Canada.

Tres Lobo of Dan Tours said it’s good to see Israel honing in on the Canadian market.

“I think it’s great,” he said. “Israel is our biggest seller. We do a lot of business in the Middle East.”