The Tourism Ministry has signed a first-of-its-kind agreement with the global company Visa, which will produce monthly aggregated data on tourists’ credit card spending in Israel. The move is intended to sharpen and streamline Israel’s marketing activities as a tourist destination.

The data to be received will be aggregated on tourists’ spending from different countries, without including information that could identify them. The Tourism Ministry received approval from the Privacy Protection Authority in the Justice Ministry, which determined that there is no risk to tourists’ privacy, as no information enabling personal identification will be transferred.

The new data is expected to shed light on tourists’ spending patterns in Israel, divided by countries of origin and major spending sectors such as accommodation, restaurants, shopping, and culture. In addition, a geographical analysis of spending in Israel and in competing countries such as Greece, Cyprus, and Portugal will be conducted.

Through this, the Tourism Ministry and the entire industry will gain more precise insights into tourists’ needs, complementing the information currently obtained from the Ministry’s annual inbound tourism survey.

Tourism Minister, Haim Katz said: “This is another step led by the Tourism Ministry under my leadership for the smart and efficient allocation of resources to encourage tourist flows and improve the tourist experience. More than ever, we measure and act based on field data to realize Israel’s tremendous tourism potential”.