Media Line: Israel’s tourism industry suffers under strain of prolonged war
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Israel’s tourism industry suffers under the strain of prolonged war
Military operations in the Gaza Strip have been significantly scaled back, but growing fears that war could soon break out on Israel’s northern border are unlikely to help tourism recover.
Keren Setton/The Media Line
It’s the height of cherry blossom season in northern Israel, a time when tourism usually peaks as the region marks the start of summer and a lush green landscape after a rainy winter. But this year, tourism is almost nonexistent in northern Israel. Eight months of war have left the once-bustling tourist areas deserted, with much of the area sealed off by the army.
Moj Anidjar’s Kompa food truck in Merom Golan Kibbutz is usually busy this time of year, but now he’s feeding several soldiers stationed in the area, and last week a rocket struck about 250 meters (about 820 feet) from the office where he runs his business.
“We depend on tourism,” Anijar told The Media Line. “Some locals still visit, but it’s very few.”
Much of the area has been evacuated by the government since the war began, and other residents have decided to relocate to areas outside rocket range.
In the first month, Anijar made 21,000 sandwiches for soldiers who rushed to the scene. The Army was overwhelmed and didn’t have ready catering options for the many reservists who were called to duty. Anijar and two other colleagues funded the operation for the month, but their enormous efforts became unnecessary as the Army settled into normal operations and began feeding soldiers.
“This was supposed to be peak season, but the kibbutz’s hotels are at 15 percent occupancy, most of whom are reservists,” Andijar said.
Before war broke out in southern Israel on October 7, Israel had enjoyed a thriving tourism industry for several years, although there had been a slight decline in tourism due to political unrest in the country prior to the outbreak of the war. As a result of the war, most flights into Israel were cancelled for the first few months. Although flights have resumed, ongoing missile launches, primarily aimed at northern Israel, make Israel less attractive to foreign tourists than it was before.
“Tourism was devastated on October 7,” said Benny Levy, vice president of sales and marketing at Israeli hotel chain Isrotel. “By then, and even by the end of 2024, we were on track to exceed visitor numbers and revenues from the years before the pandemic.”
According to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, just over 3 million tourists visited Israel in the first 10 months of 2023. Before the war, there was a 10% increase in tourists from the United States. 36% of tourists came for sightseeing and sightseeing, and 20% for pilgrimage. Israel is full of tourist and historical sites from north to south, and the average stay was about 8 nights. Since the war began, these figures have plummeted.
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics predicted a bright outlook for inbound tourists to the country, with the number of inbound tourists from the start of 2023 reaching roughly the levels of pre-pandemic 2019, a record-breaking year for Israeli tourism. That year, 4.5 million tourists visited the country.
However, the outlook is now much less optimistic. 114,000 tourists entered Israel in May 2024, more than double the number compared to the same month last year. 400,000 tourists have entered Israel since the beginning of 2024. In the same months of January and May 2023, almost 2 million tourists entered Israel.
Israel is dotted with historical and religious holy sites that have attracted tourists in the past. Many of the hotels that once hosted pilgrims and tourists now serve as temporary housing for tens of thousands of Israelis displaced from their homes in the north and south by the situation. Many of them have since found more permanent housing options, leaving hotel rooms empty, but demand for hotel rooms remains low.
But domestic tourism is gradually increasing despite security challenges, such as in the southern Israeli resort city of Eilat, which has been targeted by drones and missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
David Katz is deputy general manager of Saler Tours and Conferences, a tourism company that has been bringing evangelical and Christian tourists to Israel for more than 30 years. In recent months, he has seen a slight recovery in the tourism sector.
“At first, everything came to a complete halt after the best season on record completely wiped off the calendar,” Katz told The Media Line. “Gradually, starting in December, [2023]Solidarity visits and pilgrimages were also observed.”
Katz expects about 100 pilgrims to arrive in Israel this week, some for their regular pilgrimages to the Holy Land, others in solidarity to visit areas hard hit by the war (such as the Nova music festival site, where hundreds of partygoers were killed) or a kibbutz on the border with Gaza.
Levy said about 20 percent of the Isrotel’s current bookings are from foreign tourists, mostly American tourists on solidarity visits and a small number of foreign businessmen in Israel on business.
Airlines are gradually resuming flights to Israel. Many governments still advise against traveling to Israel. The Israeli army’s Home Front Command, which is in charge of wartime restrictions, allows free movement within the country, except on the border with Gaza and in areas very close to the border with Lebanon in the north. But many cities that rely on tourism, especially in northern Israel, are suffering from a decline in tourists despite being allowed to continue operating.
According to 2020 data from the Ministry of Tourism, Israel’s tourism sector accounts for 2.6% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Before the pandemic, 145,000 people worked in the tourism sector, which was on its way to a full recovery after the pandemic. Some of those workers were Palestinians, who are now banned from working in Israel, leaving the tourism sector with a labor shortage.
The war doesn’t appear to be nearing an end, and while military operations in the Gaza Strip have been significantly scaled back, fears are growing that war could soon break out on Israel’s northern border, which will not help tourism recover.
Some of Anijar’s friends who run tourism-related businesses in the north have already decided to close their businesses and relocate elsewhere. Anijar is determined to stay and work at the small business that currently provides him with a livelihood. Coming from an area that has not been evacuated by the government, he is not entitled to compensation for the loss of his business.
“I don’t want to just sit back and do nothing. We need to feed our soldiers. But we can’t go on like this. We need this to end. Quiet,” he said.
The image of Israel in the international news is one of war, casualties and constant missile attacks.
“Even if the war ended now, it would take six months to a year for the industry to recover and at least another two quarters to return to full capacity,” Levy told The Media Line.
For Katz, there is room for optimism.
“Next year I won’t have time to do this interview because I’ll be too busy,” he said. “Based on my experience, this year has been the toughest yet, but we will bounce back.”
Photo: Moj and Meirav Anjar feed soldiers in northern Israel. (Adi Kreuzer)
