So, in 2011, Belfer took the plunge and moved there on a student visa for a master’s degree program at Tel Aviv University. Now, after founding his own creative agency in 2014, he spends his days promoting Israeli companies internationally.
The Mediterranean coastal city is hot right now, and not just for its nearly year-round summer temperatures, which can reach 40 degrees Celsius. In the last few years, Tel Aviv has been ranked the best smart city by the Smart City Expo World Congress, one of the best beach cities in the world by National Geographic, the best gay travel destination by gaycities.com and an outstanding culinary destination by Saveur Magazine.
You're talking about people that aren't afraid to take risks.
While Jerusalem is Israel’s holiest city and capital, Tel Aviv is its defacto economic capital. Easily reached via the Ben Gurion international airport, Tel Aviv is also home to Tel Aviv University — one of Israel's largest — the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, foreign embassies and one of the highest start-up densities in the world, according to Compass’s 2015 Startup Ecosystem Ranking.
But it's not all business.
With miles of white sand beach; acres of green park surrounding the Yarkon River; one cafe, restaurant or club for every 221 residents; the adjacent ancient port city of Jaffa, which was established as a seaport in the Middle Bronze Age, and events ranging from political protests to annual public water gun fights, it is also considered by many to be Israel’s cultural heart.
On the radar
Elianna Bar-El, editor of Time Out Israel, attributed Tel Aviv's growing popularity to word of mouth. “People come during the summer, for holidays or for pride,” she said. “They go back to their countries and talk about it. It is especially intriguing since Israel is always in the news because of the Conflict.”
The “city that never stops” is now the 6th fastest-growing destination city in the Middle East and Africa, with visitors estimated to spend $1.5bn in 2015 according to the 2015MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index.
