During 2024, tourist facilities in Israel regained a bad memory when the hospitality industry deteriorated sharply during the Corona years of 2020 and 2021, but the genocidal war that Tel Aviv continues to commit in the Gaza Strip is the reason for the deterioration of tourism during the past year.
Because of the war on Gaza and then the mutual attacks with Iran and Yemen and the war on Lebanon, most international airlines suspended their flights to and from Tel Aviv, some for several months and others until further notice.
Because of the war, the tourism industry coming to Israel deteriorated by more than 70% during the past year, compared to 2023, and declined by more than 80%, compared to the peak year before the Corona pandemic in 2019.
Sharp decline
According to data from the Israeli Bureau of Statistics, inbound tourism declined to 885,000 tourists and visitors during the first 11 months of 2024, amid expectations that it will reach 952,000 tourists during the entire year.
In the first 11 months of 2023, the number of tourists who visited Israel reached 2.95 million, while their number in the whole of 2023 reached about 3 million tourists, according to official data.
In the face of this deterioration, tourist facilities found themselves far from any government incentive programs, which is what many companies and institutions expressed to the Ministry of Tourism in Israel.
According to a report published by the Israeli website (Wasla for Economics and Business) (exclusive), based on government data, about 60,000 companies and small and medium enterprises will close their doors in 2024, an increase of 50% compared to previous years.
Although specific figures are not available for the number of tourism companies that closed their doors, the report indicates that the tourism sector was among the most affected, which means that a large number of them were affected and closed their doors as a result of the conflict.
In addition, other sectors such as construction and agriculture were greatly affected, with about 700 to 750 construction and infrastructure companies closing last year, an increase of more than 10% compared to 2023. The agriculture sector was also affected due to security restrictions on border areas and labor shortages.
Figures issued by the Israeli Bureau of Statistics show that the escalation of the extermination war on the Gaza Strip has greatly discouraged international travelers.
The number of tourists deteriorated significantly during the period of the Israeli war on Lebanon. While the number of incoming tourists in August 2024 was about 304.1 thousand tourists, it declined to approximately 89.7 thousand tourists last September.
The decline continued to 38.3 thousand tourists last October, before rising slightly to 52.8 thousand tourists in November 2024, according to data from the Israeli Bureau of Statistics.
Chronological sequence
Tourism in Israel has witnessed remarkable fluctuations over the past decade, as it was affected by political, security and health factors. The following is a look at the performance of the tourism sector each year based on data from the Israeli Bureau of Statistics:
- 2014: Israel received about 2.92 million tourists; Despite regional tensions, especially in Syria, knife attacks in the West Bank, and the war on Gaza, tourism has maintained a relatively stable level.
- 2015The number of tourists decreased to 2.8 million, a decline of 13% compared to the same period of the previous year, at a time when this decrease is attributed to security concerns and political tensions in the region.
- 2016The sector witnessed a slight recovery with an increase in the number of tourists to 2.9 million, which indicates a relative improvement in visitor confidence, as tensions in the West Bank and Gaza subsided.
- 2017: The number of tourists increased significantly to 3.61 million tourists, reflecting tourism promotion efforts and improved security conditions, a year in which Israel implemented international tourism programs to attract more visitors.
- 2018Growth continued with the number of tourists reaching 4.12 million, a record number that reflects Israel’s attractiveness as a tourist destination in the Middle East, and because of the stability of the situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
- 2019: The number of tourists peaked at 4.55 million tourists, pumping $8.46 billion into the Israeli economy, according to data from the Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Tourism.
- 2020Tourism was severely affected by the Corona pandemic, as the number of tourists decreased to only 831,500 tourists, which led to major economic losses.
- 2021The decline continued with the number of tourists reaching 396,500, as a result of the continued global health restrictions and the closure of most of the world’s airports.
- 2022: The sector witnessed a noticeable recovery with an increase in the number of tourists to 2.67 million tourists, which indicates an easing of restrictions, the return of tourism activity, and an increasing number of recipients of Corona vaccines.
- 2023Israel received about 3 million tourists, pumping $4.85 billion into the economy, but the last quarter of the year witnessed a severe blow due to the war on the Gaza Strip.
- 2024The Strip witnessed a sharp decline to 885,000 tourists during the first 11 months of the year, due to the continuation of the war on Gaza and the escalation of tensions with Iran, Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq.
