The Israel Ministry of Tourism has announced that tourism arrival numbers, for the first time in over two years, are approaching the same record-breaking numbers of summer, 2019. This upward trend comes on the heels of the country reopening to international travelers regardless of vaccination status in March.

“We are thrilled that travelers from all over the world are eager to visit Israel again; ever since our total reopening to all travelers, we are seeing an influx of visitors,” said Eyal Carlin, Tourism Commissioner for North America. “With new hotels, restorations and renovations to many historical sites, new tour offerings, and new restaurants in every region we are seeing that the demand to visit Israel is very high--and with all the amazing things to do in Israel, there’s never been a better time to visit.”

Since March of this year, the Ministry has seen exponential growth month over month, and the country expects to be back to pre-COVID, 2019 numbers very soon. In June of 2022, Israel saw 112.7k North American tourists (excluding day visitors & cruise passengers) while in June of 2019 there were around 131.8k North American tourists who entered the country.

“It’s exciting to see continuous growth in travel to Israel from the Canadian market,” said Gal Hana, Director-Counsel of Canada for the Israel Ministry of Tourism. “With a number of upgrades in accessibility, hotel openings, and of course the natural beauty of the country Israel should be at the top of everyone’s travel list this year!”

With tourism on the brink of returning and exceeding 2019 numbers, the country has put forward several announcements highlighting how Israel remains focused on the tourism sector including:

1. Israel’s Ministry of Tourism and the Investment Administration recently announced 107 entrepreneurs have applied for grants from the Ministry of Tourism to establish new hotels. Investors are seeking to establish and convert existing buildings to hotels and expand existing buildings or restore them to their original purpose. The Israel Ministry of Tourism has earmarked NIS 165 million ($49 million) in grants to support plans for the establishment.

2. Numerous hotels have opened over the last six months and more plan to open throughout 2022 and 2023 including the Six Senses Shaharut, Brut Brown Hotel, The David Kempinski Tel Aviv, Nobu Hotel Tel Aviv, Isrotel’s Port Tower Hotel, Alberto Tel Aviv, and more.

3. Free guided tours to the public were brought back in February meaning, tens of thousands of free tours are now being offered every day of the week. To date, more than 1,800 tour guides have responded to the invitation to participate in this project and tours are being offered in English, Russian, French, and Arabic in addition to the Hebrew-guided tours currently available.

4. The food and beverage scene continues to thrive as Israel remains a top foodie destination. Travelers can expect to see over 300 wineries, new breweries, and distilleries including Jerusalem’s new Thinker’s Distillery, more restaurants in local markets using fresh local produce, vegan options galore, and more.

5. Accessibility in the Old City has greatly improved. Years in the making, nearly 4 miles of streets and alleyways in the Old City have been made accessible with the installation of hand railings and ramps. Another great advancement is the addition of the app, Step-Hear, which assists and supports the visually impaired.

6. Western Wall infrastructure upgrades are in progress. As one of Israel’s most iconic and top-visited sites, Israel has approved a $35 million upgrade to the Western Wall. The plan aims to encourage more visits to the site by improving public transportation accessibility, developing new educational programs, and continuing existing development projects.

7. New flight routes continue to hit the market. Beginning on October 29, American Airlines will be upgrading its Miami to Tel Aviv flight to daily service. El Al has resumed their non-stop service from Boston’s Logan Airport and added a third weekly flight to the destination, and in May, Delta announced a non-stop route from Boston.

   SOURCE Israel Ministry of Tourism