Israel, January 13, 2026 – The Israeli tourism industry showed cautious but clear signs of recovery in 2025. The country welcomed approximately 1.3 million international tourists this year, indicating a gradual stabilization of the sector, driven by renewed travel interest in several markets. In 2024, the number of international tourists was below the one-million mark, at 961,000.

DACH Market Shows Stable Development with Positive Trends
The USA, France, and the United Kingdom have further strengthened their positions as key source markets for Israeli inbound tourism. Together, they account for approximately 55 percent of all arrivals. The USA leads with 400,000 visitors, closely followed by France with 159,000 and the United Kingdom with 95,000.

With a total of 67,300 visitors from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the DACH market was among the top five most important source markets for Israel in 2025.

Within the DACH region, Germany is the strongest source market with 43,100 arrivals. It is followed by Switzerland with 15,400 and Austria with 8,800 visitors. The figures demonstrate that the German-speaking region remains a relevant market and simultaneously sends encouraging signals for further revitalization of inbound business. The development in the DACH market shows that Israel continues to be perceived as a travel destination in German-speaking countries, and interest is noticeably returning. For comparison: in 2024, a total of 59,500 visitors were recorded from the region.

Personal connections remain a key driver: 45 percent of travelers stated their intention to visit friends and relatives. This figure remained stable compared to the previous year.

“For many travelers, Israel remains a very personal and emotional destination – and we see that interest is increasing again in German-speaking countries. The fact that the DACH market was among the top five most important source markets for Israel in 2025 is an important signal for our distribution partners. Together with airlines, tour operators, and travel agencies, we aim to further expand this positive trend in 2026. With our activities, we also explicitly plan to target the very important group of returning visitors, who are important multipliers for us through their experiences and recommendations. We are optimistic about the coming 12 months,” says Ksenia Kobiakov, Director of the Israel Government Tourist Office for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Domestic Travel as an Economic Anchor
While international tourism continues to pick up, domestic tourism has had a stabilizing effect. By the end of the third quarter of 2025, Israelis accounted for over 13 million hotel overnight stays in the country. The “Israeli Tourism Month” in November provided additional impetus: hundreds of tours and activities were offered for a symbolic fee of 18 shekels (4.90 Euros). With 85,000 participants and very positive feedback, a repeat for 2026 is already in planning.

Outlook for 2026: Confidence through More Flight Offers, Investments, and Technology
Looking ahead to 2026, the Ministry of Tourism is optimistic that the recovery will further strengthen. Minister of Tourism Haim Katz attributes this to declining travel warnings and increasing flight availability, especially given robust demand in core markets, particularly North America. To strengthen the offering, over 180 million shekels (49 million Euros) in funding have also been approved for entrepreneurs to create 2,050 new hotel rooms, thereby further developing capacities, competition, and service quality.
For the coming months, the Israel Government Tourist Office also plans to target loyal Israel travelers with the goal of motivating them to pack their bags again.

At the same time, technology is increasingly in focus: Artificial intelligence is to serve as a strategic growth engine. For 2026, the establishment of a tourism innovation community is planned, connecting tech start-ups and travel companies to further modernize the visitor experience and position Israel as a “Startup Nation.”

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About the Israel Government Tourist Office in Germany:

Whether round trips, city breaks, bathing, wellness, active and cultural trips, rental car tours, or family holidays: The Israel Government Tourist Office provides information about the various regions, cities, and sights in the Holy Land. Israel is located in the Eastern Mediterranean and is no more than a four-hour flight from most parts of Europe. The country offers a sunny climate, a wide variety of historical, archaeological, and religious sites, and a captivating contrast between ancient and modern. In Israel, visitors are welcomed with traditional hospitality that dates back to biblical times. goisrael.com

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