Why the world still isn't visiting Israel
Industry leaders say the biggest obstacles are no longer the fighting, but perception, prices and air travel.
The appearance of a return to normalcy following the ceasefire in the north has done little to revive inbound tourism. Unlike domestic tourism, which tends to recover quickly once the sirens stop, foreign visitors have largely stayed away from Israel in recent years. By all indications, this summer is once again expected to be largely devoid of international tourists.
According to data from Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, only 64,400 tourists entered the country in May 2026, a sharp decline from the 126,800 who arrived in May 2025, a year that was also marked by significant security uncertainty. In May 2024, approximately 115,000 tourists visited Israel.
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Pilgrims in the Old City of Jerusalem, November 2024
(Ryan Rodrick Beiler / Shutterstock)
Compared with the period before the war, the picture is even starker. In May 2023, Israel welcomed 376,400 tourists, meaning arrivals in May 2026 were down by 83%.
The decline has dealt a severe blow to the economy. Foreign tourists contributed approximately $4.85 billion to Israel's economy in 2023. That figure fell to $2.2 billion in 2024 and slipped further to $2.1 billion in 2025.
The Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association argues that the figures reflect not only the industry's deep crisis but also Israel's deteriorating image abroad.
"These are not just statistics, they are a wake-up call for anyone who still doesn't understand that inbound tourism is a strategic national asset," says Yossi Fattal, CEO of the association.
"There is a direct connection between Israel's standing in the world and the number of tourists who come here. Every tourist becomes an ambassador. We have a real need for people to leave Israel with positive impressions, or at the very least, without negative ones. Surveys show that 83% of the 1.8 million tourists who visited Israel during 2025 said they were satisfied with their trip and would recommend visiting the country. People want to come. The demand and the potential are still there."
So what is preventing inbound tourism from recovering?
"First, the aviation situation. People who want to visit Israel still cannot confidently plan a vacation months in advance. Airlines haven't stabilized their schedules, and many don't know how their operations will look in the coming months. The entire region, not just Israel, is still recovering.
"The second obstacle is the strengthening of the shekel against both the dollar and the euro. Israel has become significantly more expensive for foreign tourists, whose purchasing power has declined. Price is often the first consideration when choosing a vacation destination, and Israel is currently losing on that front.
"The third challenge is public perception, and this is where Israel has failed. Many people believe it is dangerous to visit Israel, even though cities such as Rio de Janeiro are objectively more dangerous than Tel Aviv. Israel is not an inherently dangerous destination, but we have failed to communicate that to the world."
In normal times, more than half of all tourists visiting Israel stay in or around Jerusalem. Around 80% visit the city and its holy sites, making Jerusalem the region hardest hit by the collapse in tourism.
Most of these visitors are Christian pilgrims, whose absence has become especially noticeable over the past two years.
The Christ Church Guest House, also known as the Emmanuel Church Hostel, has operated a hostel and café inside Jerusalem's Old City for decades. One of the city's oldest and most sought-after accommodations, it was forced to close about a month ago because of the lack of tourists.
Michal Granot, a Jerusalem tour guide for more than 20 years, has experienced previous crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Swords of Iron war. But she says the conflict with Iran nearly wiped out Christian tourism altogether.
"There is virtually no inbound tourism left in Israel," she tells Calcalist.
"Any guide looking for stability has already changed professions. It used to be common to see groups of Christian pilgrims across the country. Today it's extremely rare.
"The churches in Jerusalem and northern Israel have been hit hard because many rely on donations from visiting pilgrims. Until October 2025, the industry was still hanging on because many tours had been booked long in advance, even after Operation Rising Lion. After that, everything froze. Our peak seasons are March, June and December, and now they're practically empty."
According to Granot, the weaker dollar has added to the industry's difficulties.
"Many tourists who saved for years to visit Israel suddenly found the trip had become prohibitively expensive. At the same time, we quote prices in dollars, so estimates we gave clients several months ago are now worth much less in shekel terms.
"When a large church group from Atlanta canceled in September 2025, I realized I couldn't keep waiting for tourism to return. I joined a tourism company as an operations employee."
How does a company like that survive?
"It doesn't depend solely on Israel. It operates tours throughout the Middle East. Morocco is booming, and Egypt continues investing heavily in inbound tourism. They provide police escorts, professional security, and even ensure tourist sites remain fully powered during nationwide electricity shortages. They understand how strategically important tourism is."
Granot argues that compensation remains one of the industry's biggest challenges.
"Government compensation compares our revenues with 2025, but tourism was already devastated that year. The same applies to 2024. The last normal benchmark is really 2023."
Refusing to Insure Tourists Visiting Israel
The industry's difficulties are evident throughout 2026.
Between January and May, Israel recorded 356,400 tourist arrivals, compared with 565,300 during the same period in 2025.
The summer months would normally provide the industry's best opportunity to recover, yet hotels are now struggling not only to attract guests but also to recruit workers.
Last month, the Knesset's Special Committee on Foreign Workers approved measures to accelerate the recruitment of 1,500 foreign hotel employees, most of whom are expected to work in Eilat, where hotels report shortages of between 5,000 and 6,000 workers.
Although the industry currently has a quota of 8,300 foreign workers, hotel operators say it remains insufficient, resulting in higher prices and lower service quality.
Fattal and his organization are now pushing to establish a dedicated national body to coordinate inbound tourism policy.
"It cannot depend on whether a particular ambassador succeeds in persuading another country to ease its travel advisory," he says.
"We need an independent, professional body that works with government ministries, airlines and tourism organizations, markets Israel abroad, promotes attractions objectively, and develops long-term tools to strengthen the hotel sector and encourage tourism."
He also points to another growing problem.
"There are insurance companies overseas that simply refuse to insure tourists traveling to Israel, and almost nothing is being done to address that problem at its root."
The industry is also demanding additional government funding.
In April, the Knesset Finance Committee approved improvements to the compensation framework introduced following Operation Rising Lion, but it stopped short of creating a dedicated compensation mechanism for inbound tourism.
Committee Chairman MK Hanoch Milwidsky said hotels would be allowed to compare revenues with 2023, reflecting the last pre-war year. However, he argued that creating a separate legal framework exclusively for inbound tourism would be difficult because the compensation package applies horizontally across all sectors.
Tourism Minister Haim Katz later promoted a dedicated assistance program for inbound tourism.
Last month, the government approved a NIS 43 million aid package. Of that amount, NIS 35 million will be used to retain essential workers, while NIS 8 million will fund overseas marketing campaigns.
Industry representatives say the package is welcome but insufficient, and that it arrived far too late.
As a result, inbound tourism is expected to remain well below normal levels throughout the coming summer.
