A new record was set between January 2023 and the outbreak of the war for the number of incoming tourism from the US, according to a survey released by the Tourism Minister on the topic of tourism in Israel in 2023. In total 3.01 million tourists came to visit Israel from all over the world.
The annual figure represents an increase of 12.5% compared to 2022, and a decrease of 34% from 2019, Israel’s record year for incoming tourism with 4.5 million tourists that year.
Most tourists in 2023 came between May and June.
Following the beginning of the war, the number of tourist entries to Israel decreased significantly, with just 180,000 arriving in the last quarter of 2023, although 900,000 were expected.
Most tourists came from the United States, France, England, Russia, Germany, Italy, Romania, Poland, Canada, and Spain.
In 2023, $4.85 billion was injected into the Israeli economy from tourism, and the average expenditure per tourist, excluding flights, totaled 6,005 NIS.
Data on the 2023 tourists
According to the Incoming Tourism Survey, carried out by the Ministry of Tourism from January 2023 until the outbreak of war, 30% of tourists came on an organized trip while 70% came independently. Of all the tourists, 50% were Christian and 24% were Jewish. The average length of stay was 8.3 days. Of incoming tourists, 57% were first-time visitors while 43% had visited Israel more than once.
Regarding reasons for visiting, 37% came to sightsee, 26% came for leisure and recreation, 25% came to see family and friends, 11% came for business and 5% came for a variety of other reasons.
While visiting, 60% of tourists stayed in hotels, 19% stayed with family or friends, 13% stayed in a short-term rental, 6% stayed in a hostel or a Christian hostel, and 2% stayed in other accommodations.
Tourism Minister Haim Katz says, “We are preparing the necessary infrastructure that will enable us to operate swiftly and efficiently on the day after, to help jumpstart the economy and to offer the country additional resources for rehabilitation and growth. Indications from the field are encouraging.
While some tourists postponed their vacations because of the war, many did not cancel their reservations and are waiting for the right time to travel. Israel has much to offer as a tourism destination and we are looking forward to once again welcoming tourists to our country.”