From Recovery to Crisis: Israel’s Tourism Industry Hit Hard by War

JERUSALEM — Just as Israel’s tourism was recovering from the ravages of COVID-19, thousands of those connected to the industry are again struggling for survival following the Oct. 7 attacks that launched the Hamas war.According to the Israel Ministry of Tourism, 15,000 tourists entered Israel on Oct. 6, 2023. On Oct. 8, there were 26. It has been a long, slow, and devastating struggle since then for those who depend on tourism for their livelihood.“We expected 2023 to be the best year in the history of Israel in terms of incoming tourists numbers,” foreign affairs advisor with the Israel Ministry of Tourism, Peleg Lewi, told the Sun. “We were headed to breaking the record of 4.5 million. We were recovering from COVID, and the tourists were not only faith-based but also many from Europe, the Far East, China, Russia, and the Ukraine. On Oct. 7, everything changed.”When visiting Israel, it’s easy to forget the country is at war. The beaches in Tel Aviv and those a few miles north in Netanya have a lazy leisurely feel with sunbathers enjoying a brilliant cloudless sky. Young and old enjoy the waves of the Mediterranean Sea, but the number of visitors is down from last year.The war and the worldwide attention it’s receiving have erased Israel as a destination place for those concerned about safety. The majority of Israel’s economy continues virtually uninterrupted as locals go about their daily lives in business, finance, transportation, technology, and manufacturing. Tel Aviv, a city of 4.4 million people, remains a bustling city. The markets, shops and restaurants are open. There are weddings everywhere.But those who make their living on visitors coming into Israel for vacation or holiday have endured eight months of dire circumstances.“Tourism was great and then COVID hit, and we didn’t work for two years,” a tour guide in Jerusalem, Ehud Orly, told the Sun. “Then tourism came back. It was wonderful. We worked all the time. I was fully booked a year and a half in advance. Then Oct. 7 happened and we’ve gotten virtually no jobs ever since.”A tour operator who coordinates housing, transportation, and activities for tourists, Ilana Cohen, said her office was so busy before Oct. 7 that “we couldn’t breathe. I would leave the house at 6:30 a.m. and not get home until 8 p.m. and there would still be phone calls. Then on the night of Oct. 7, we got an email from the office saying, ‘Don’t come in until further notice.’ We did a lot of cancelations. We’re still canceling things.”Mr. Lewi said the number of tourists entering Israel currently is about 5,000 a day or about 30 percent of what it was before the Hamas attacks.The majority of those visiting Israel since the attacks are faith-based groups and those wishing to show solidarity. The casual tourists with no religious or family ties remain few and far between.“It’s mostly faith-based tourist delegations from Jewish communities, evangelists mostly from the U.S., and catholic pilgrimages from around the world,” Mr. Lewi said. “These are people who will continue to come to Israel because of solidarity or because it’s really important for them.”Before the war, tourism represented about 3% of the Gross National Product of Israel with about 300,000 people connected or employed in the industry. Due to the war, travel agents, tour coordinators, and tour guides are struggling for customers. Non-Kosher restaurants in Jerusalem also are struggling for customers, and the beaches aren’t as crowded.Mauricio Von Eisenkatze spends his summers working at the Café Bar at the beach in Netanya. “Most of the time when I see tourists it’s the very religious ones,” he told the Sun as he waited for his next customer. “This year maybe I’ve seen four people who are actually tourists and aren’t Jewish. That’s like 90 percent less than usual.”The hotel industry remains stable because it is being subsidized by the government for housing an estimated 100,000 evacuees from the North and South. It’s the tour guides who have suffered the most.According to Israel Tourism Statistics there are nearly 9,000 licensed tour guides in Israel. Once in high demand, almost all were out of work after Oct. 7.Ron Lahad has been a tour guide for 14 years, educating visitors about the history of Jerusalem and the holy land. “Imagine COVID was a damn holding water and people who postponed trips were waiting to come,” Mr. Lahad told the Sun. “Early in 2023 the damn broke and we were flooded with work. Some people purchased things or invested in their business putting a plan together for the rest of 2023 and 2024. Then Oct. 7 happened. Things dropped from 100 to zero.”Israel’s Ministry of Tourism is focusing on 2025 and a potential return to normalcy. The current mission is to keep Israel in front of those who promote tourist destinations. “We’re preparing for the day after,” Mr. Lewi said. “We’re present at all the international tourism fairs in Berlin, France, Madrid, Singapore, and India. We tell people not to take us out of the catalogs because if we’re not in the catalogs for the big groups and at the fairs, we’ll get forgotten.”Better yet visit Israel even amid the war. “If you want to support Israel come here for a week,” Mr. Lewi said. “Change your summer plans and come for a week to Israel and show your solidarity.”Mr. Lewi admits creative marketing may not be enough to revive Israel’s tourism industry. Threats from the north and a potential escalation of the war could halt any progress. “If there’s going to be an escalation in the north, I’m sure we’re going to face another crisis,” Mr. Lewi said. “Unfortunately, tourism will be the last industry to come back to normal. But we’re optimistic. There’s a saying, ‘If you want to be realistic in Israel, you have to be optimistic.”

From Recovery to Crisis: Israel’s Tourism Industry Hit Hard by War

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