Israel eyes 10,000 Indian tourists in 2024 despite unrest, plans e-visa facility

Kolkata: Amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Israel is hoping 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 (IMOT) India Director of Marketing, Amruta Bangera, around 8,500 Indian tourists visited the West Asian country till October this year.

"In 2018, the country hosted 70,800 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. The momentum continued in 2023 with 41,800 Indian visitors. In 2024, 8,500 Indians travelled to Israel during the January-October period," she told PTI.

"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 destination, 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.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East intensified dramatically after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a large-scale assault on Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250.

Hezbollah began attacking Israel from Lebanon on October 8 in solidarity with Hamas, prompting Israel to launch extensive military campaigns in both Gaza and southern Lebanon.

Over 43,800 Palestinians, including many women and children, have reportedly been killed in Gaza, while more than 3,400 people have died in Lebanon due to Israeli bombardments, with 80 per cent of these casualties occurring in the past month.

Israeli fatalities include 76 people, 31 of whom were soldiers.

Israel has vowed to weaken Hezbollah’s military capabilities in Lebanon, while its war in Gaza has led to devastating losses, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.