Israel's Tourism Target: 10,000 Indian Tourists by 2024

Israel's Push for Indian Tourists Despite Unrest 

Despite ongoing tensions in West Asia, Amruta Bangera, Director of Marketing at the Israel Ministry of Tourism in India, confirmed that Israel hopes to welcome 10,000 Indian tourists in 2024 and will introduce an e-visa facility for Indian nationals in early 2025 to increase travel to the country.

"In 2018, the country saw a record 70,800 Indian visitors. Although the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global travel, India’s arrivals began rebounding in 2022 with 30,900 visitors, despite limited marketing. This positive trend continued in 2023 with 41,800 Indian tourists. By the end of 2024, we hope to reach around 10,000 Indian visitors," she said.

Discussing the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which has caused instability in the region, Bangera reassured potential travellers of their safety and said,

"Israel is safe for tourists, and the conflict is mainly in the border areas, which are off-limits to tourists." 

She acknowledged that while the conflict and media coverage have affected tourist numbers, she expressed optimism that the situation would improve in the coming months.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism regularly collaborates with Indian travel businesses to promote Israel as a top travel destination. To encourage Indian visitors to travel to Israel, Bangera also announced intentions to introduce an e-visa program in early 2025.

Israel has gradually rebounded in international tourism despite the geopolitical difficulties. A record 4.9 million foreign tourists visited the nation in 2019. After the pandemic halted international travel, Israel received 2.6 million visitors in 2022 and 3.1 million in 2023.

"In 2024, Israel recorded 920,000 international arrivals between January and October," Bangera added.

The Israel-Hamas conflict escalated after Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023, resulting in around 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 250 people.