Israel is an unattractive travel destination for tourists due to escalating prices, according to a survey by the World Economic Forum.

The competitive economic survey, conducted last weekend by the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR), ranked Israel 53rd out of the 140 countries listed.

Israel has continued to drop on the biennial 500-page report, after it was ranked 46th place in 2011 and 36th place in 2009.

A number of issues, from inhospitable attitudes to foreign visitors, extortionate hotel prices and the quality of roads, accounted for Israel’s ranking.

Survey conductors examined a number of factors including the availability of transport, historical sites and natural scenery.

Switzerland topped the list, followed by Germany and Austria. The UK ranked in 5th place.