Amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Israel hopes that the number of Indian tourists will reach 10,000 in 2024 and is planning to launch an e-visa programme for the Indian market early next year to encourage travel to the West Asian country, an official said on Thursday.
According to the Israel Ministry of Tourism India Director of Marketing Amruta Benagera, around 8,500 Indian tourists visited the West Asian country until October this year.
"In 2018, the country hosted 700,800 Indian visitors, marking a record; although the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global travel, Indian arrivals began recovering in 2022, reaching 30,900 despite minimal promotional campaigns. This momentum continued in 2023 with 41,800 Indian visitors. In 2024, 8500 Indians travelled to Israel during January-October,".
"We hope that by the end of this year, the number of Indian tourists travelling to Israel will reach around 10,000 she said. Speaking about the impact of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which has kept West Asia on edge, Bangera claimed, "Israel is safe for tourists, and the conflict is confined to the bordering areas where tourists are not allowed to venture."
"Yes, the conflict and the news emanating from the region have impacted tourist inflow. But we hope the situation will improve next year," she said. The IMOT is optimistic about the Indian market's potential and is actively engaging with Indian travel agencies to promote Israel as a preferred tourist stanchion, she said. "We are planning to launch an e-visa programme early next year to attract more tourists from India," she said.
Bangera stated that despite ongoing geopolitical challenges in the Middle East, Israel has witnessed a steady recovery in global tourism. The country recorded a peak of 4.9 million international visitors in 2019. While the pandemic brought travel to a near halt, Israel welcomed over 2.6 million tourists in 2022 and 3.1 million in 2023. In 2024, the number of international tourists to Israel was 920,000 between January and October", she said.
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