Tourism Minister Haim Katz made history today (Thursday) by opening the OTM International Tourism Fair in Mumbai, one of the most important tourism events in Central India. During his working visit to the continent, the minister led a series of strategic moves to strengthen tourism ties between the countries.
The most significant announcement came from Air India, which revealed plans to launch a direct flight route between Mumbai and Ben Gurion Airport by 2026. This is in addition to the renewal of flights from New Delhi starting this March. In a meeting with the company’s CEO, Campbell Wilson, the final details for operating the routes were agreed upon.
“There is enormous tourism potential in India that we are working to realize,” said Minister Katz. “We have set a strategic goal to reach seven million tourists by 2030, and India is a key market in achieving this. Indian tourists are looking for a unique experience, and Israel has a rich tourism offering that provides a broad response.”
In a historic meeting with Indian Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, it was agreed to promote a program to bring Indian workers into the Israeli tourism industry. Minister Katz invited his Indian counterpart to visit Israel as part of the IMTM Tourism Fair, which will take place in May.
The numbers speak for themselves: In 2023, until the outbreak of the war, 55,000 tourists from India visited Israel, compared to a record 80,000 visitors in 2019. Now, with the opening of new flight routes and strengthening collaborations, these numbers are expected to rise significantly.
At the OTM fair, which this year hosts about 1,100 tourism entities from 55 countries, the Israeli pavilion, covering an area of 40 square meters, showcases Israel as a prestigious and attractive tourist destination. The fair is expected to attract over 40,000 professionals from the tourism industry, including travel agents, hotel chain representatives, airlines, and conference organizers.
The tourism ministry is already preparing for a delegation of agents and journalists from India to visit Israel in the coming months, with the aim of developing tailored vacation packages and increasing tourism exposure.