Israel’s Ministry of Tourism is extending a heartfelt thank you to the UK Jewish community for its steadfast support, particularly in a challenging period. The message comes from Michael Izhakov, the newly appointed Director General of the Ministry, who emphasized the importance of tourist visits in rebuilding the nation’s image and economy.

Speaking at the World Travel Market (WTM) at London’s ExCel, Izhakov highlighted the significant role of visitors, stating, “If you want to support Israel, I want to say ‘come to Israel’. You are our best ambassadors”.

The UK currently holds the third-largest share of visitor numbers to Israel this year, following the USA and France. Despite an overall 68% reduction in visitor numbers last year compared to 2023, the commitment shown by the UK community has not gone unnoticed.

Izhakov’s new mandate includes a significant push for investment in the sector, encouraging the “building of new hotels and new homes” with incentives such as 20% grants for eligible projects. Tourism remains a vital engine for the Israeli economy, contributing between 5 and 7% of the GDP and employing over 150,000 people.

A major challenge, he noted, is “assuring tourists that Israel is safe”. Izhakov stressed that there is a “huge gap between the true reality in Israel and the way that it’s covered in the newspapers”. He provided a critical fact: “not one tourist was hurt during the war”, a detail the Ministry is working hard to communicate globally.

The Director General met with a large delegation of UK Jewish communal leaders at the WTM, including representatives from UJIA, the United Synagogue, The Federation, and the Board of Deputies. The community leaders stressed that solidarity with Israel has only strengthened since 7 October 2023, with an increased demand from the community to return and visit.

Joined by the Ministry’s UK director, Michael Ben Baruch, and the CEO of the Israel Hotel Association, Eli Cohen, Izhakov thanked the leaders for their continued support, leading to a commitment from the group to work together to plan and build even stronger ties between the UK Jewish community and Israel Tourism.