In a significant step towards revitalizing Israel’s tourism sector, Minister of Tourism Haim Katz, newly appointed Director General Michael Itzhakov, and their team met with the Coordination Bureau of the Tourism Industry, led by Miki Federmann. The meeting focused on collaborative strategies for the swift recovery of tourism to Israel.

The Ministry presented optimistic data, revealing that approximately 4,000 tourists entered Israel on Monday of this week. Notably, around 2,000 of these visitors originated from the United States, France, and the United Kingdom – key source countries where the Ministry is currently concentrating its efforts. The Ministry is also emphasizing the Russian market, which views Israel as a preferred destination, partly due to 36 weekly flights arriving from Russia.

Furthermore, officials highlighted that the current number of tourists in Israel has already surpassed the daily figures recorded just before the “Guardians of the Walls” operation.

Minister Katz addressed the industry representatives, stating, “We will work together for tourism recovery. You know the field best, and we are here to provide you with the tools to succeed. The desire to visit Israel exists – just recently, I heard from agents and the Jewish community in the U.S. about their willingness to come to the country even during these times. We will allocate budgets wisely and deliver results. The lack of flights is a critical component, and we are working on this issue. I hope we will see a change and a widespread return of airlines to operations in Israel”.

Director General Itzhakov affirmed, “The Ministry under my leadership considers the industry a full partner. We will work transparently and adapt ourselves to your needs. The Ministry is launching the second phase of the foreign worker recruitment initiative for hotel housekeeping and room attendant positions. Starting today, hotels can submit applications for employment permits for an additional 1,350 workers from Sri Lanka, including small hotels with 11 rooms or more that were not previously included in the procedure. This second phase expands the existing arrangement and improves the eligibility criteria”.

Miki Federmann concluded the meeting by expressing his optimism, stating that as an industry accustomed to crises, he is confident that tourists will return quickly as the security situation improves.