The ongoing war in Gaza and fears of an impending Israeli military invasion in Rafah continue to impact tourism in Israel and Palestine, with no end in sight to the slump.
The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics reported a rise in tourist entries to 79,500 in March 2024 from 68,100 in February, though this was significantly lower than the 375,600 entries in March 2023. From January to March 2024, visitor entries totaled 206,700, a steep decline from the 966,200 tourists during the same period in 2023.
Following the October 7 Hamas attack, international airlines ceased flights to Israel due to security concerns. Since the war began, tourist entries into Israel dropped dramatically, with only 180,000 arriving in the last quarter of 2023 versus an expected 900,000.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, 415,300 Israelis traveled abroad in March 2024, up from 343,800 in February but still below the 746,300 who…