YIR: U.S. Travelers Flocked to Israel in Record Droves

Before the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, Israel had been experiencing a spike in tourism rates.

Whether it was celebrating Israel’s 75th anniversary, or just visiting family, friends or touring the country, U.S. travelers flocked to Israel in the first half of 2023. Travel rates from the U.S. rose 12 percent over the same period just four years prior. And in June alone, visitors from the U.S. spiked 13 percent compared to June 2019.

According to Christopher Elliott, travel expert and senior editor at Forbes, tourists to Israel in the first half of 2023 wanted to experience not only the well-known destinations, such as the holy sites of Jerusalem and the bustle of Tel Aviv, but places many aren’t all that familiar with such as the Negev Desert wine route or SCUBA diving at an underwater archaeological excavation site, as well as one-of-a-kind experiences, such as a sleepover at a Bedouin camp or attending the International Jerusalem Jazz Festival at the Israel Museum.

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Since the Oct. 7 attack, travel from the U.S. to Israel has mostly been limited to war-related passengers, either reserve IDF soldiers, volunteers, or family members of soldiers and victims.

It will take time for Israel’s tourism numbers to reach the levels of early 2023 as the nation is still at war and will have to rebuild its tourism industry once the war ends.