Israel turns to Christian pilgrims, diaspora ties, AI to reboot post-war tourism

Government officials believe Christian pilgrims, evangelical travelers and Jewish communities abroad could form the backbone of a gradual recovery, even if broader tourism remains restricted.

After nearly two years of war, Israel’s tourism industry is attempting a reset not by chasing beachgoers or short-haul city breaks but by leaning heavily on belief, familiarity and loyal audiences abroad.

Government officials believe Christian pilgrims, evangelical travelers and Jewish communities abroad could form the backbone of a gradual recovery, even if broader tourism remains restricted.

That strategy was unveiled this week at the International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) in Tel Aviv, where the Ministry of Tourism announced a renewed marketing push largely targeting North America. More than NIS 20 million ($6.5 million) has been allocated to a digital campaign aimed at rebuilding trust and reintroducing Israel to audiences already inclined to visit.

Minister of Tourism Haim Katz said at the opening of the exhibition: “Uncertainty and travel warnings have affected tourism activities, but there are reasons for optimism that signs of recovery are already emerging, with improvements in flight availability in 2026.”

He said the ministry will soon launch a new U.S.-focused campaign titled “I AM ISRAEL” designed to target “pro-Israel audiences, evangelicals and Jewish communities,” while outreach to other major markets will continue.

“Our goal is not only to return to previous levels, but also to improve and break records,” Katz insisted.

The IMTM exhibition itself was designed as part of this trust-building effort. Approximately 12,000 visitors were expected at the two-day event at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds, where more than 180 participants from Israel and abroad were hosted.

While countries such as Greece, China, Vietnam, Georgia, Canada, Slovakia, Hungary, Taiwan and Azerbaijan established national pavilions, international journalists, social media influencers and foreign officials toured the exhibition halls.

Director of the Ministry of Tourism: Recovery has begun

Director General of the Ministry of Tourism Dani Shahar Izhakov said that although the recovery was uneven, it was starting at the edges. Nearly 140,000 visitors have entered Israel so far this year; In the same period in 2025, this number was approximately 63,000. Still, he cautioned against expecting a rapid return to pre-war volumes.

Before the Hamas-led offensive on October 7, 2023, Israel had predicted a record 5.5 million visitors for that year; this was well above the 4.5 million recorded in 2019. Instead, arrivals dropped to about 3 million in 2023, followed by a sharp decline in 2024, when less than 1 million tourists visited. In 2025, this number increased modestly to approximately 1.3 million.

“We conservatively estimate that 2 to 3 million tourists will visit Israel in 2026,” Izhakov said. “This could be a meaningful recovery, but it will take time to rebuild confidence and demand.”

One of the clearest bets is on the Christian pilgrim. At IMTM, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee spoke at the launch of HolyLandTravel.ai, an AI-powered travel planning platform designed specifically for faith-based visitors. Huckabee, an evangelical pastor who led more than 100 pilgrimages to Israel over several decades before becoming ambassador, argued that the current crisis masks significant pent-up demand.

“I tell my friends in the United States, if you are thinking of coming to Israel, come immediately,” Huckabee said. “Tourism has dropped greatly due to war and tension, but there are no queues at the places I go into (restaurants, hotels, biblical places).”

Addressing safety concerns, he said, “The question I always get asked is whether it is safe. And I say, I feel completely at home and safe in Israel. There may be tension in various places, but we have that in the US too.”

The ambassador added: “There are 80 million Evangelical Christians in America, and they all want to travel here. Once you set foot in this country, you read the Bible differently for the rest of your life.”

HolyLandTravel.ai is a free interactive app that allows users to create customized pilgrimage itineraries based on dates, destinations, and budgets, creating personalized AI-driven podcasts and video tours layered over Google Maps. Huckabee called it “one of the most practical tools I’ve ever seen for people planning a trip to the Holy Land.”

According to ministry figures, the United States remained Israel’s largest source market, sending nearly 400,000 visitors in 2025, followed by France with 159,000 visitors and the United Kingdom with 95,000 visitors.

By the end of 2025, a total of NIS 180 million ($58.2 million) in grants were approved for the construction of 2,050 new hotel rooms, while another NIS 174 million ($56.3 million) was allocated to public tourism infrastructure projects delivered by local governments in 2026.

In early December, the Israel Planning Authority approved a construction permit for a new terminal at Ben-Gurion Airport, featuring modern baggage handling systems, check-in counters, offices and unloading zones to meet growing passenger demand. The airport expects traffic to reach 22 million in 2026.