TIBERIAS – The 14th International Go-Galilee Tourist Marketing Event in early September was the largest since its inception in 1990, said Pini Shani, director of overseas marketing for the Israeli tourism ministry, at the opening press conference at the Holiday Inn Tiberias.

Israel’s population has multiplied tenfold in 60 years, and visitors are interested in learning how a new country, with newcomers speaking 70 different languages, lives on its ancient land, marketing consultant Ya’acov Dovev explained.

Approximately 60 journalists and 150 members of the travel industry from around the world attended the five-day event, which took the group on a whirlwind visit to the historical sites and first-class entertainment and relaxation venues in the country’s glorious north.

The breathtakingly beautiful, mountainous region of the Galilee, home to Jews, Christians and Muslims, offers the opportunity for a memorable spiritual experience (from Christian and Jewish perspectives) as well as an outstanding vacation spot for those interested in history and culture, contemporary Israeli life, nature and outdoor activity.

A visit to the House of Dona Gracia hotel museum in Tiberias before the beginning of the scheduled events was a worthwhile way to spend the afternoon. Located within a short work to the Sea of Galilee (also known as Lake Tiberias or, in Hebrew, Kinneret), the hotel hosts conventions and seminars surrounding the history of Dona Gracia, an exceptionally wealthy, high society 16th-century Jewish heroine, born into a Marrano family, who used her influence to protect crypto-Jews and free hostages. Her courage, as well as her dream of settling Jewish refugees in Tiberias – considered one of the four holy cities in Israel, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed (Tzfat, in Hebrew) – is not well known. The museum on the ground floor is divided into halls representing different periods of her life and the countries where she lived. Dona Gracia was in high standing with the Sultan of Kushta, Turkey; waitresses in Café Kushta (there is also a ‘Ladino’ restaurant), adorned with furniture from Istanbul, are dressed in the spirit of that period.

Ongoing archeological findings

New archaeological discoveries are continuously revealed in Israel, including the historically rich Galilee region. Just a week before the event, for example, coins from the period of the Bar Kochba revolt (2nd century CE) were found there.

Tourists could spend many days in the city of Acre (Akko). The port of Acre had been the focal point of commerce in the Middle East in the era of the Crusades. Oriental bazaars, fortresses, museums, beaches, restaurants and a fisherman’s wharf are among the numerous attractions.

Built by the Turks in the 18th century above a crusader city that had been lying in ruins, the city is an ongoing archaeological project, although doing the excavations is often difficult because of the population living above ground.

The tunnels built by the Knights Templar were discovered by chance in 1994 when water began leaking into an apartment building. We walked through a newly found area of the tunnels, which is not yet open to the general public and includes graffiti on the walls dating back to that era.

Nazareth Village, a project of the village ministry, is an interesting historical site based on New Testament scholarship and archaeological study that reconstructs a 1st-century hamlet, including a synagogue based on historical research.

Ancient history amid breathtaking beauty

A drive through the Galilee displayed a view of the magnificent region. Mount Gilboa, overlooking the Jezreel Valley –with its multitude of wildflowers, the most unique being the purple iris – is where King Saul and his sons lost their battle with the Philistines, as recorded in the book of Samuel. Mount Tabor was the site of the warrior Barak’s successful battle against Canaanite king Jabin, as told in the book of Judges.

A treat for birdwatchers and nature lovers is the exquisite Hula Valley Reserve, a wetland home to 200 species numbering in the tens of thousands of aquatic birds.

Lunch overlooking the sea at Kibbutz Lavi was a culinary and scenic delight. The religious-Zionist kibbutz in the lower Galilee was established in 1949 by a youth organization from England, many of whom had escaped the Holocaust through the kindertransport. Its first-class, ultra-modern hotel, surrounded by lavish gardens, was recently renovated and the rooms were fully booked.

Boasting one of the largest crocodile farms in the Middle East, Hamat Gader Park covers 40 acres of tropical parkland. A visit to its spa offered a taste of ultimate luxury; its thermo mineral water baths include spacious pools of water containing potent medicinal and curative properties, Jacuzzi beds and chairs, water jets that relieve tension, a bubble pool and a hot water waterfall.

A tour of the Galil Mountain Winery at Kibbutz Yiron in the upper Galilee offered a glimpse of that industry in the region, which is thriving and known worldwide for its superior vintage.

A new medical school is slated to open in 2011 in the mystical and artistically rich city of Tzfat, known as the international centre of Kabbalah.

A get together for the Go-Galilee group featured among its entertainment Maya Amir, a young Tiberias-born and raised national opera star who had performed at the Olympics in China.

The Galilee offers cultural festivals throughout the year and choice international cuisine representing Israel’s diverse ethnicities.