IGTO poster contest focuses on Tel Aviv

TORONTO — The Israel Government Tourist Office – Canada (IGTO) is sponsoring a “Big Draw” postcard design contest for students at Jewish schools in the GTA to celebrate Tel Aviv’s centennial year. The grand prize winner will receive two El Al tickets to Israel.

TORONTO — The Israel Government Tourist Office – Canada (IGTO) is sponsoring a “Big Draw” postcard design contest for students at Jewish schools in the GTA to celebrate Tel Aviv’s centennial year. The grand prize winner will receive two El Al tickets to Israel.

Oded Grofman, the tourism consul and a third-generation Tel Aviv resident, told The CJN that the contest is “a good opportunity” to bring something creative to the young generation as well as to provide incentive for them to learn about the history of Tel Aviv.

From a tourism perspective, children are often the “trigger” for a family trip to Israel, whether it’s a bar mitzvah trip or a vacation spurred by students’ interest in seeing first hand what they are learning about in their Jewish schools, Grofman said.

Tel Aviv is a vibrant, diverse city with much to offer visitors, Grofman said, citing its nightlife, restaurants, beach, promenade, museum, opera, concerts and theatre.

As well, he noted, in 2003 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site for its Bauhaus architecture.

“There’s something to do every minute there,” said Grofman.

Participating schools are holding their own postcard contests and will select five entries each to submit to the IGTO.

As of last week, about two dozen schools – of which about 60 per cent are day schools – were involved in the contest, according to Jerry Adler, the IGTO’s manager of marketing and public relations.

On March 16, a panel of judges will choose three winners, basing their decisions on content, esthetic appeal and effectiveness of delivering a message, said Adler.

Runners-up will receive a digital camera (second prize) and an MP3 player (third prize).

The winning design may be used for tourism promotion, and could be printed as soon as April, when celebratory events begin in Israel for Tel Aviv’s centennial year. They will run through 2009.

In 2008, 71,000 Canadians visited Israel, a record, bettering the previous year’s tally of just over 60,000, which was also a record, Adler said.

More information about the centennial is available at www.tlv100.co.il.

For more information on Israel, go to goisrael.ca.