Tourism in Israel now includes visits to communities near the Gaza border, a growing trend following an attack by Palestinian fighters on October 7.
Notable figures like Jerry Seinfeld, Elon Musk, Michael Douglas, Nikki Haley, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner have visited these areas, often posing for photos in front of damaged homes.
Traditionally, visits to Israel for VIPs focused on religious and cultural landmarks such as the Western Wall, Masada, the Sea of Galilee, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.
However, recent visits to affected kibbutzim and border towns aim to garner international support and revive tourism after the Gaza conflict.
Tourism in Israel has seen a drastic decline, from 930,000 visitors in Q4 of 2022 to about 180,000 in Q4 of 2023, an 81.5% decrease, according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.
During the conflict, approximately 1,200 lives were lost due to Hamas attacks in southern Israel, with around 250 abductions reported.
Meanwhile, in southern Israel, areas like Sderot offer “resilience tours,” where visitors connect with survivors sharing their stories and experience local culture and cuisine.
Unlike severely affected kibbutzim such as Nir Oz, most residents of Sderot have returned to normal life. South of Sderot, the site of the Nova music festival has become a pilgrimage site, attracting numerous daily visitors.
Near the festival site, a memorial called “Triumph of the Spirit” in a eucalyptus grove offers virtual reality tours of three kibbutzim affected by the conflict, currently available exclusively to soldiers on educational visits but with plans to offer an English version for international tourists soon.
Tourism is a significant contributor to Israel’s economy, employing about 200,000 people and contributing around 3% to the GDP. However, concerns about regional tensions are tempering expectations for sector recovery in 2024.
