Russia Ruble Crisis Deals New Blow to War-Pounded Israel Tourism

Russian Christmas visitors usually fill 150 rooms at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ein Boqeq, Israel’s holiday resort on the Dead Sea. The sinking ruble sent that number plunging to 15 this year.

Israeli tourism officials expect traffic from Russia, the country’s second-largest market after the U.S., to fall by a fifth next year, making it even tougher for the industry to recover from the summer war in the Gaza Strip.