The Tourism Ministry has reported a net loss of NIS 18.7 billion from international tourism and NIS 756 million from domestic tourism, particularly affecting northern regions, nearly a year into the ongoing conflict.

The ministry, which oversees the management of evacuated residents near the northern border and the Gaza border, has compiled data on the situation over the past year.

According to the ministry’s findings, approximately 853,000 tourists entered Israel, primarily from the United States, France, the UK, Russia, and the Philippines. Two-thirds of these visitors identified as Jewish (62%), while 29% were Evangelical Christians or Catholics. Nearly half (44%) traveled to visit friends and family, 28% were tourists, and 13% came for business purposes. Additionally, around three-fourths of these tourists had previously visited Israel.

Regarding the evacuated residents, a total of 68,712 individuals, mainly from the northern areas, are still unable to return home. Most of these evacuees (53,113) are staying within the wider community, while 15,599 are residing in hotels. The financial burden of maintaining these evacuees has reached NIS 5.466 billion, which has been allocated to the hotels accommodating them. An additional NIS 3.182 billion has been disbursed as subsistence grants to those who opted to remain in their communities.

The Tourism Ministry has implemented measures to manage the evacuation process, which have eliminated agent commissions for hotel placements, reportedly saving the state NIS 5.173 billion by replacing private travel agents who typically charge commissions. However, the ongoing conflict has led to significant costs for the state, amounting to NIS 8.648 billion for evacuations thus far, including the hotel expenses.

The ministry has arranged for approximately four million room bookings and 13.5 million one-night stays. Additionally, about NIS 3.2 billion has been allocated for accommodation grants, providing NIS 18,000 monthly for families of two adults and two children. This support is currently the preferred solution for managing the evacuee crisis, benefiting 53,113 families.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has disrupted the tourism industry’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely impacted the sector in 2020. Although a record tourism influx was anticipated based on trends up to October 2023, only three million tourists entered Israel this year. Projections for 2024 indicate that only around one million tourists are expected to visit, representing less than a quarter of the 2019 visitor numbers.

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