‘Wide target audience that still loves Israel’: Tourism industry prepares for post-war rebound

Israel’s tourism leaders recently met with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to discuss boosting the recovery of American tourism, strengthening bilateral cooperation and advancing a national strategy to make Israel a leading global destination.

The session was part of the Israel Tourism Recovery Forum (ITRF), a strategic platform bringing together government, private-sector, airline, hotel, tourism, academic and international leaders to develop practical recommendations and initiatives to support Israel’s tourism recovery in the aftermath of several years of war.

Sponsored Apple AirPods Pro 3 Review: The ANC Wireless Earbuds to Beat in 2026 See the review →

“I will continue to be an ambassador for Israel wherever I go,” said Huckabee. “I will continue encouraging Americans to visit Israel, experience it firsthand, and discover the reality for themselves.”

Anat Shihor-Aronson, spokesperson and head of the Public Relations Department at Israel’s Tourism Ministry, told JNS that 1.3 million tourists entered Israel in 2025, compared with a record 4.5 million in 2019.

“As the security situation stabilizes, the airlines return. The main barrier right now to the full return of tourists to Israel is the lack of flights,” she said. “There is a wide target audience that still loves Israel,” she added.

About two months ago, Shihor-Aronson said, the ministry launched a digital campaign in the United States called “I Am Israel,” targeting Jewish and evangelical communities, as well as people who generally view Israel positively. The campaign is still running on social media and across digital platforms and was also displayed in Times Square.

“It’s not only about having people purchase a flight ticket. It’s about them keeping Israel in mind and coming when they feel comfortable doing so,” she said.

The campaign was also intended to show that, contrary to the picture portrayed in news outlets, life in Israel continues, she said.

During the meeting with Huckabee, Michael Izhakov, director general of the Tourism Ministry, stressed the importance of expanding direct flights between the United States and Israel, noting the ministry’s efforts to encourage airlines to resume service suspended during the war with Iran and launch new routes.

Eli Cohen, president of the Israel Hotel Association, proposed a national initiative modeled on Birthright Israel to bring young evangelical Americans to Israel, while David Fattal, founder and owner of the Fattal Hotel Group, stressed that tourism remains one of Israel’s key economic growth engines, and that the United States is its most important inbound market.

Yaron Lipman, CEO of Atlas Boutique Hotels, told JNS that Jewish and business travelers are gradually returning to Israel, as soon as conditions allow.

“For a long period, the industry’s focus was on the Israeli market, as foreigners were unable to visit. Still, we see some Americans and Western European tourists returning quite quickly,” he said.

“We see how important it is for the Jewish and business communities to come here. We also see how surprised they are by the reality of Israelis living and enjoying life, as opposed to what they see on TV,” said Lipman.

Shihor-Aronson stressed that the safety and security of tourists visiting Israel is a top priority. The ministry is also working to develop tourism infrastructure and expand hotel capacity in order to lower accommodation costs for visitors, she said.

Of the 4.5 million tourists who visited Israel in 2019, just over 1 million came from the United States, making it Israel’s largest source of international tourists. Tourism generated 23 billion shekels ($7.7 billion) that year, while U.S. tourists spent an average of about nine days in Israel, she said.

“Beyond the economic engine, whoever comes here ends up being an ambassador for the state, as they fall in love with the country and speak about it with their close circle,” said Shihor-Aronson.

Lipman told JNS that the main challenge posed by Israel’s wars since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre has been their prolonged duration, with the industry enduring repeated fluctuations, flight cancellations and the accommodation of more than 1,300 evacuees across Atlas’s hotels.

“Hosting these evacuees was deeply meaningful to us, although it came with some financial sacrifices. Some stayed with us for a year, others for a year and a half. It felt like one big family, and we’ve maintained relationships with many of them to this day,” said Lipman.

Another challenge, he continued, is that some parts of the country are better equipped to weather declines in foreign tourism because they routinely rely on domestic visitors. Eilat, for example, continues to perform well when international tourism falls, potentially skewing perceptions of the broader struggles facing the hotel industry.

Independent hotels face additional challenges because they lack the capabilities and resources of larger chains, with some unable to survive the prolonged downturn, he added.

“Cities such as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Tiberias and Nazareth depend on foreign tourists. The hotels there were built to serve that market, and without these visitors, demand drops drastically,” he said.

In July 2026, 109,000 tourist arrivals were recorded, compared with 85,000 in July 2025, a 28% increase. From the beginning of the year through July, 539,000 tourists entered Israel.

Several major European carriers resumed flights to Israel last month after a four-month suspension prompted by the latest war with Iran. U.S. airlines, led by United and Delta, are scheduled to resume service in September.

“Hearing foreign languages and seeing tourists smile fills me with satisfaction and happiness,” said Lipman. “We look forward to welcoming them back soon. We are ready to receive them as members of the hospitality industry and as a country.”

Shihor-Aronson said she is optimistic about tourists returning to Israel in the near future, highlighting the country’s unique offerings, from Jerusalem’s biblical and historical sites to Tel Aviv’s culinary scene and liberal atmosphere.

“It’s a very unique country in the Middle East, and we are optimistic that they will return and that there will be more tourists than during Israel’s record year. It will take time and patience, but it will happen,” she said.

Get the latest updates in our WhatsApp group.

Test yourself on one question pulled from JNS reporting. New puzzles daily.