Israel’s Tourism Sector Collapses, 90 Hotels Closed Since War on Gaza

Tel Aviv, MINA – Israel’s tourism industry has faced a sharp decline, with its collapse deepening amidst the ongoing war in Gaza. Hotel occupancy rates have plummeted, and many businesses have shut down.

According to a report released by the Israel Hotel Association on Sunday, hotel bookings dropped by 29% in October compared to the same month last year, marking a significant blow to the sector, as quoted from Al Mayadeen.

Tourism activities in Israel have decreased by 20%, with international tourist visits nearly vanishing. Only 120,000 overnight stays by international visitors were recorded in October, representing a 63% drop from October 2023 and a shocking 86% decrease compared to October 2022.

The overall impact in 2024 has been severe, with only 1.6 million tourist stays recorded so far, a sharp decline from 7.5 million stays in 2023. Total hotel stays in October reached 1.58 million, a 29% drop from the previous year, despite coinciding with Jewish holidays such as Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot, which typically boost travel.

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Sivan Detooker, Director General of the Israel Hotel Association, stated, “Since the beginning of the war, around 90 hotels have closed—nearly 20% of the entire hotel service industry—and the situation continues to worsen.”

Even during the major Jewish holidays in October, traditionally a peak tourism period, the sector only generated 1.58 million shekels (approximately $0.4 million), far below expectations. Settler demand for hotels also fell by 29% compared to October.

The average hotel occupancy rate in October was 51%, a 63% drop from last year and the lowest monthly occupancy rate recorded in 2024.

As the war rages on, Israel’s economy is also deteriorating. Earlier this month, passenger traffic at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport fell by 43% during the first nine months of 2024 due to the escalation and war in Gaza and the northern border following October 7, leading many airlines to reduce or cancel flights.

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According to airport authorities, the airport served 10.85 million international passengers from January to September, down from 19.01 million in 2023. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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