As Israel prepares to welcome a record number of visitors for the Passover holiday season, Tourism Minister Yariv Levin says the significant increase in travelers to Israel is not a coincidence, but a direct result of policy.

The first quarter of 2017 marked an all-time high in tourism to Israel, with 739,000 entering the country from January to March – a 22-percent increase over the same period in 2016.

The increase contributed more than $1.1 billion to the Israeli economy and created approximately 5,000 jobs.

“For the past few consecutive months, we are witnessing record highs in incoming tourism, and I am pleased that March is also a record month for tourist entries. This is not coincidence – this is a result of policy. We are implementing marketing activities and taking innovative steps to brand Israel and we are bringing new airlines and routes into the country – and all this is proving itself, month after month,” Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said in a statement.

“This significant increase is making a significant contribution to the Israeli economy and to the labor market,” he continued. “Israel is an attractive and varied tourism destination and we are proving that if we work correctly, it is possible to bring tourists here. I am convinced that if we continue on this path, we will see significant increases in incoming tourism in the future.”

A total of 256,000 tourists entered the country by air, an increase of 17 percent over February 2016, and 19 percent over March 2015. A total of 38,000 people came through border crossings by land, a significant drop over previous years.

This positive trend has been ongoing. Despite the wave of Palestinian terror in 2015-2016 and a drop in tourism in many countries in the region, due to instability, Israel’s tourism industry registered record-breaking numbers in 2016.