HOTELS IN ISRAEL NOT FULL FOR SUKKOT

From the Aug 10 edition of Kosher Today:

Israel’s Hotels Hope Calendar Will Help Sagging Holiday Reservations
Jerusalem…It is called the “ideal” holiday by many who savor the combination of spending the Succoth holiday in the Holy Land with ample time to tour. This year, Succoth falls on Friday night October 2nd and ends on Sunday October 11th, allowing for a near week of touring. Sources say that the hotels in Jerusalem are currently at about 65% of capacity, well off its pace of 2007, its last banner year. One popular destination, the luxurious Inbal Hotel in the capital is offering visitors flexible stays over the holiday with a minimum 3-night stay. The hotel also offers many of its guests private balcony Succos. Other destinations in Israel such as the Dead Sea are similarly lagging, but in the past have filled rooms with the less coveted Israeli tourist. Hotels are hoping for a last minute surge by tourists from North America in particular, partly due to the calendar and in some measure to a slowly improving economy. Despite the slower sales, prices have remained stable with some dealing possible, say travel agents.
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Hotels in Israel follow a typical pattern. When no one is visiting, the hotels lower their rates to bargain basement levels. When tourism resurges, hotel rates go through the sky. As tourism in Israel has picked up, hotel rates have soared. By saying that “prices have remained stable,” the article means that prices are still high and people are not willing to pay those astronomical amounts. Hence, the last part of that sentence that tells us that “some dealing (is) possible.”