Israel’s tourism industry, which employs 3.6% of the country, according to OECD, is effectively in shutdown following Hamas’s deadly incursion and kidnap raid from Gaza and Israel’s merciless military response.
Evacuations and air lifts
As an Israeli ground offensive looms and the entire population of the Gaza Strip has been told to evacuate, the Israeli Home Office is helping to repatriate tourists already in situ. Over 2,600 people have been killed since the latest round of conflict began, including dozens of citizens of other countries such as the U.S., the Philippines, and the U.K.
The U.S. has issued a “Do Not Travel” advisory for Gaza, due to “terrorism, civil unrest, and armed conflict.” Travelers to Israel and the West Bank should “reconsider travel” to the region, the U.S. State Department has said.
Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza: On Oct. 11, 2023, the Department raised the Travel Advisory for Israel and the West Bank to Level 3 – Reconsider Travel due to terrorism and civil unrest. The Travel Advisory for Gaza remains Level 4 – Do Not Travel due to terrorism, civil… pic.twitter.com/ffPNHSJ0Bm
— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) October 11, 2023
Switzerland and Iceland are flying citizens home on special flights. Most airlines have cancelled flights and are offering passengers ticket freezes or waivers, while some such as Korean Air, Delta and American Airlines, are working with governments and partners to continue to fly repatriation missions.
All tour activity must cease
Tour operators are cancelling events and offering refunds. Historic, holy and cultural sites as well as nature-based parks and reserves have closed and the Ministry of Tourism has advised that all tour activity should cease.
Voyagers on cruise ships should stay aboard, tourists in hotels should remain inside, and “In general, please stay near protected places and act according to the instructions of the Home Command,” the memorandum said. Many cruise operators, such as Norwegian Jade, Celestyal and Royal Caribbean are not visiting Israeli ports, or are diverting to ports in Turkey for example, ending cruises early and disembarking passengers elsewhere than scheduled.
Events off
Unsurprisingly, the events calendar for the region is in tatters. Events company Live Nation is cancelling gigs with refunds, while UEFA is monitoring the situation and looking to liaise with teams to reschedule matches cancelled over the next few weeks, including a Euro 2024 qualifier and under-21 championship matches.
In these times of need, everybody just gives a hand — no questions asked.
Leon Avigad, founder of Brown Hotels
No staff or customers
Even parts of the hospitality sector that remain open-for-business in theory, such as restaurants, lack enough customers and staff to operate because the military has called up so many reservists. Many service businesses are pivoting to relief and aid efforts instead.
“This is not a time to think of financial losses. We need to make sure our people are safe during this time,” Leon Avigad, founder of Brown Hotels told the Washington Post.
Lives and livelihoods threatened
Having only re-opened post-Covid-19 in January 2022 and with 41% fewer tourist arrivals than 2019, Israel’s tourist sector is now unlikely to see the recovery it was hoping for this year. Ben Julius, founder of one of Israel’s biggest tour agencies, said the last six months had shown some hopeful signs. But with around 15,000 tourists expected in October, whose trips have now been cancelled, the outlook for the sector is grim, with lives and livelihoods on the line.
