After a challenging period characterized by a significant decline in outbound tourism, it seems that Israelis are saying "yes" to vacations abroad at an impressively fast pace. This is evident from data revealed at the annual conference of the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management at Kinneret Academic College, held at Abraham Hostel in Tel Aviv.
The conference, which attracted about 150 of the top figures in the tourism industry, focused this year on outbound tourism and the trends characterizing it. The key and surprising statistic presented: Outbound tourism is experiencing an impressive recovery with about 93% of peak demand, despite the many obstacles the sector faced last year—price increases due to limited supply, uncertainty, and concerns about traveling as an Israeli abroad.
"We are in a period where the heart of the world's tourism growth is happening around us—in the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and more. I hope and believe that in a short time, we will be able to be part of the region's growth," said Dr. Eran Keter, Head of the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management at Kinneret Academic College. "The recovery is noticeable, and we are currently at 93% of peak demand."
Expecting a Record Summer in Outbound Tourism
According to Dr. Keter, the industry is preparing for a very high volume of travelers this coming summer: "Israelis are returning to Ben Gurion Airport at a fast pace," he noted to the attendees. These impressive numbers come after a challenging year in which the sector experienced a significant decline.
The conference was attended by many senior executives in the industry, including Dany Shahar, CEO of the Tourism Ministry; Rina Kamini, CEO of the Association of Travel Agencies and Tourism Consultants in Israel; Yaniv Lanis, Founder of Secret Flights; Eyal Kashdan, CEO of The Flying Carpet; Gilad Shaulof, CEO and Chairman of Abraham Hostel Group; and many others.
Challenges of the TikTok Generation and AI
In the second part of the conference, a panel was held led by Dr. Keter, with participation from travel bloggers Paz Parhi and Esti Segal. The session focused on the changes that the TikTok generation will bring to the tourism world and the difficulty of attracting the younger generation to the industry.
A central topic discussed was how, despite the junior crisis in high-tech versus AI, there is a strong need for manpower in the tourism industry. The discussion reflected the tension between technology and the human experience still required in the tourism sector.
Dany Shahar, CEO of the Tourism Ministry, shared the strategic goals ministry: "We aim to reach seven million incoming tourists by 2030. To get there, we are at the beginning of a slow and challenging trend."
Shahar detailed the ministry's plans: "Ahead of Passover, we will compensate the hotels that were severely affected in the amount of about 175 million NIS, and at the same time, we are working with the Foreign Affairs Ministry to encourage tourists and reduce travel warnings for visiting Israel."
He added, "These days, the industry is facing an unprecedented crisis due to the Iron Swords war. Even in this challenging period, alongside managing the evacuation of residents in hotels, we continue to support the tourism industry with grants and the establishment of tourism infrastructures as part of the preparations for the day after the war."
Rina Kamini, CEO of the Association of Travel Agencies and Tourism Consultants in Israel, emphasized the sector's resilience: "Tourism is the litmus paper of Israeli society—when something happens, we are the first to feel it. I am very proud to be part of this community; we demonstrate a lot of resilience in the crises we have been through recently."