Israel's tourism industry has experienced significant challenges recently. After reaching a new peak in 2019, with 4.9 million annual visitors, the country saw a dramatic drop to just 400,000 visitors in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A rebound in 2022 and 2023, ended with the start of the Israel-Hamas war at the end of 2023. Interestingly, some businesses have found ways to endure the slump in tourist arrivals. A pause on air travel With the start of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, international tourist travel to the country significantly diminished. Foreign airlines reduced their flight frequency, and at times even paused services. Between November 2023 and February 2024, no American carriers flew to the country. As a result, monthly air passenger traffic fell to just 380,000 in November 2023. A new war economy Despite setbacks, some tourism-oriented businesses found openings in the new war economy. To offset the loss of foreign visitors, local hotels accommodated Israelis evacuated from conflict regions in the North and South of the country. In the month following the outbreak of hostilities, hotels hosted over 2.5 million Israeli guest-nights. The Israel national airline, El Al, is another example of resilience. As the company maintained its services throughout 2024, it became the most reliable air travel provider, resulting in a doubling of its quarterly profits.

Key information about Israel Tourism Revenue

• Israel's Tourism Revenue reached 4 USD bn in Dec 2023, compared with 6 USD bn in the previous year
• Israel's Tourism Revenue data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1992 to Dec 2023
• The data reached an all-time high of 7,539 USD mn in Dec 2019 and a record low of 1,911 USD mn in Dec 1992

In 2023, international tourists visiting Israel stayed for 7.3 days on average. This figure was down from an average length of 7.9 days recorded in 2022. Overall, since 2019, the average duration of stay of tourists in Israel remained relatively stable.

Israel Tourism Income data was reported at 3.963 USD bn in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.518 USD bn for 2022. Israel Tourism Income data is updated yearly, averaging 3.857 USD bn from Dec 1992 (Median) to 2023, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.539 USD bn in 2019 and a record low of 1.911 USD bn in 1992. Israel Tourism Income data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Central Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Israel – Table IL.Q008: Tourism Income and Expenditure. Data includes estimates of income from tourists and expenditure of foreign workers in Israel.

In 2023, almost 860,000 American citizens entered in Israel. This was a moderate increase of about six percent from the previous year. During the observed period, visitors from the United States peaked in 2019 at about 970,000 people. Arrival in 2020 and 2021 were severely impacted by travel restrictions introduced in an effort to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

Key information about Israel Visitor Arrivals

• Israel Visitor Arrivals recorded 88,200 person in Feb 2025, compared with 78,800 person in the previous month
• Israel Visitor Arrivals data is updated monthly, available from Jan 2003 to Feb 2025
• The data reached an all-time high of 485,747 person in Oct 2018 and a record low of 600 person in Apr 2020

Tourism expenditures as a share of imports of Israel sank by 76.35% from 9.49 % in 2019 to 2.24 % in 2020. Since the 1.07% growth in 2017, tourism expenditures as a share of imports plummeted by 75.55% in 2020. International tourism expenditures are expenditures of international outbound visitors in other countries, including payments to foreign carriers for international transport. These expenditures may include those by residents traveling abroad as same-day visitors, except in cases where these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include expenditures for passenger transport items. Their share in imports is calculated as a ratio to imports of goods and services, which comprise all transactions between residents of a country and the rest of the world involving a change of ownership from nonresidents to residents of general merchandise, goods sent for processing and repairs, nonmonetary gold, and services.

In 2022, the number of tourists from Jordan to Israel reached 16,800, a threefold increase from the previous year, after a low in 2020 and 2021. On the other hand, in 2019, the number of Jordanian tourists visiting Israel exceeded that of 2022, reaching 19,200 travelers, up from 18,100 in 2018.

Contribution of travel and tourism to GDP (LCU) of Israel surged by 5.52% from 78.8 billion LCU in 2018 to 83.2 billion LCU in 2019. Since the 2.19% decline in 2014, contribution of travel and tourism to GDP (LCU) soared by 27.50% in 2019. The country's local currency (eg £, €, etc) in billion, at current prices.

4.905.000 (número) in 2019. International inbound tourists (overnight visitors) are the number of tourists who travel to a country other than that in which they have their usual residence, but outside their usual environment, for a period not exceeding 12 months and whose main purpose in visiting is other than an activity remunerated from within the country visited. When data on number of tourists are not available, the number of visitors, which includes tourists, same-day visitors, cruise passengers, and crew members, is shown instead. Sources and collection methods for arrivals differ across countries. In some cases data are from border statistics (police, immigration, and the like) and supplemented by border surveys. In other cases data are from tourism accommodation establishments. For some countries number of arrivals is limited to arrivals by air and for others to arrivals staying in hotels. Some countries include arrivals of nationals residing abroad while others do not. Caution should thus be used in comparing arrivals across countries. The data on inbound tourists refer to the number of arrivals, not to the number of people traveling. Thus a person who makes several trips to a country during a given period is counted each time as a new arrival.

In 2021, the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority registered over 155 thousand visits to Akhziv in Israel. This was a slight increase of around ten percent compared to the previous year. In contrast, in 2020, the number of tourist visits decreased moderately. This decline occurred due to the Israeli government's introduction of tourism and leisure restrictions following the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in March of that year.

Real leisure travel and tourism spending of Israel went up by 2.95% from 12.7 billion US dollars in 2018 to 13.0 billion US dollars in 2019. Since the 0.55% downward trend in 2014, real leisure travel and tourism spending rocketed by 15.46% in 2019. US dollar billion, expressed at 2011 prices and exchange rates. This series excludes the effect of price changes and therefore allows for real (volume) changes to be determined.

Israel E-Commerce Transactions: Volume: Travel & Tourism: Travel & Tourism data was reported at 2.000 Unit in 22 Feb 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.000 Unit for 15 Feb 2025. Israel E-Commerce Transactions: Volume: Travel & Tourism: Travel & Tourism data is updated daily, averaging 8.000 Unit from Dec 2018 (Median) to 22 Feb 2025, with 1830 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 41.000 Unit in 27 Aug 2019 and a record low of 1.000 Unit in 15 Feb 2025. Israel E-Commerce Transactions: Volume: Travel & Tourism: Travel & Tourism data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Grips Intelligence Inc.. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Israel – Table IL.GI.EC: E-Commerce Transactions: by Category.

Bulgaria Visitor Arrivals: Others: ow Israel data was reported at 15,167.000 Person in Jan 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 10,051.000 Person for Dec 2024. Bulgaria Visitor Arrivals: Others: ow Israel data is updated monthly, averaging 8,554.000 Person from Jan 2002 (Median) to Jan 2025, with 263 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 47,479.000 Person in Aug 2019 and a record low of 62.000 Person in May 2020. Bulgaria Visitor Arrivals: Others: ow Israel data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Statistical Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bulgaria – Table BG.Q001: Visitor Arrivals: by Country.

Mongolia Visitor Arrivals: Year to Date: Foreigners: Israel data was reported at 1,158.000 Person in Dec 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,074.000 Person for Sep 2019. Mongolia Visitor Arrivals: Year to Date: Foreigners: Israel data is updated quarterly, averaging 521.500 Person from Mar 2010 (Median) to Dec 2019, with 40 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,158.000 Person in Dec 2019 and a record low of 17.000 Person in Mar 2010. Mongolia Visitor Arrivals: Year to Date: Foreigners: Israel data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Statistics Office of Mongolia. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mongolia – Table MN.Q001: Visitor Arrivals.

In 2020, the number of tourists from South Korea in Israel amounted to 17.1 thousand. This was a significant decrease compared to the previous year. On the other hand, in 2019, the number of South Korean tourists visiting Israel increased moderately to 60.4 thousand people, up from 45.1 thousand in 2018.

4,8 (%) in 2019. The share of Travel & Tourism spending or employment in the equivalent economy-wide concept in the published national income accounts or labour market statistics. Visitor exports are compared with exports of all goods and services Domestic Travel & Tourism spending is compared with GDP Government individual Travel & Tourism spending is compared with total government spending Internal Travel & Tourism consumption is compared with total internal consumption (i.e. total domestic spending plus total export) Leisure Travel & Tourism contribution to GDP is compared with total GDP Business Travel & Tourism contribution to GDP is compared with total GDP Travel & Tourism capital investment spending is compared with all fixed investment spending

In 2022, the number of tourists from Malaysia in Israel amounted to 2.5 thousand, while in the previous year no Malaysian tourists visited Israel. On the other hand, in 2019, the number of Malaysian tourists reached 14.7 thousand.

1.4 (%) in 2019. The share of Travel & Tourism spending or employment in the equivalent economy-wide concept in the published national income accounts or labour market statistics. Visitor exports are compared with exports of all goods and services Domestic Travel & Tourism spending is compared with GDP Government individual Travel & Tourism spending is compared with total government spending Internal Travel & Tourism consumption is compared with total internal consumption (i.e. total domestic spending plus total export) Leisure Travel & Tourism contribution to GDP is compared with total GDP Business Travel & Tourism contribution to GDP is compared with total GDP Travel & Tourism capital investment spending is compared with all fixed investment spending

The dark tourism market is expected to be valued at US$ 31.89 billion in 2024. The dark tourism is predicted to rise at a sluggish CAGR of 2.5% from 2024 to 2034. The global market is anticipated to reach US$ 40.82 billion by 2034.

2019 to 2023 Historical Analysis vs. 2024 to 2034 Market Forecast Projections

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