ISRAEL TOURISM OFFICE STEPS UP UK PUSH LAUNCHING FIRST ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN SINCE 2023 AS VISITORS, FLIGHTS AND HOTEL INVESTMENT GROW

LONDON, 6 November 2026: Opening the Israel stand at World Travel Market (WTM) London this week, Michael Izhakov, Director General of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, outlined a series of developments aimed at rebuilding confidence in Israel as a destination and encouraging the continued return of UK visitors.

With British visitor numbers rising by almost 50% in September, making the UK Israel’s second-largest source market for the month, the Ministry is seeking to build on renewed momentum through its first UK advertising campaign since before 7 October 2023, which launched this month. The campaign comes alongside improving air connectivity, with five airlines now operating services between the UK and Israel, including British Airways, which resumed flights on 25 October, and follows a change in Foreign Office travel advice in June.

Meanwhile, investment in Israel’s tourism infrastructure continues, with more than £45 million earmarked to support the development of 2,050 new hotel rooms, following the first major overhaul of the country’s hotel development regulations in 14 years. Together, these developments signal a renewed drive to strengthen Israel’s tourism offering and support the recovery of international visitor numbers.

'I AM ISRAEL'

I AM ISRAEL, a digital advertising campaign, is the first proactive advertising the Ministry has run in the UK since before 7 October 2023.

It launched in October this year and shows Israel’s people, sites, food and landscapes, asking viewers to judge the destination for themselves.

"It is a tourism campaign, not a political campaign," said Mr Izhakov. "There are people in Britain who would prefer Israel did not advertise here at all. That is not their decision. We will promote our country the way every national tourism office promotes its own. Tourism is people meeting people. That is what we are advertising."


Trends

Visitors from the UK to Israel reached 104,800 in 2025, a third more than in 2024, as international arrivals from all markets recovered to 1.32 million, up 37%. Since June every month has been stronger than the last, and September's 13,100 UK visitors were up almost 50% on September 2025, the strongest month in the market since April 2025. For the month the UK was Israel's second-largest source market in the world, behind only the United States and ahead of France, and the largest in Europe. International arrivals reached 135,500 in September, up 19% on a year earlier.

Safe and open

The recovery of air connectivity between the UK and Israel has gathered momentum following the Foreign Office’s decision to lift its advice against travel to Israel on 3 June 2026, with British Airways becoming the latest airline to resume services when it reinstated its London Heathrow to Tel Aviv route on 25 October, following an eight-month suspension.
Wizz Air is currently operating five weekly flights from London Gatwick, while El Al has maintained services throughout the period. Two Israeli carriers have also entered the UK market since October 2023, with Israir launching flights from London Luton in November 2024 and Arkia introducing services from London Stansted in August 2025, although easyJet has yet to resume its pre-October 2023 operations.

Alongside improving accessibility, visitor satisfaction remains strong, with 88% of those who travelled to Israel in 2025 rating their experience positively and 83% saying they would recommend the destination to others.

"Israel is a safe and open destination with a long record of looking after holidaymakers, and it welcomes visitors of every background and faith," said Mr Izhakov. "What I can tell you is what this year's visitors say when they get home: nine in ten rate the experience positively, and more than eight in ten would recommend it."

Israel is building

The Ministry has completed the first overhaul of Israel's hotel development rules in 14 years, removing regulatory barriers and allowing more flexibility on accommodation type so that boutique and locally rooted properties come through faster, with more than £45 million allocated to fund 2,050 new rooms.

Nineteen new hotels are opening across Israel in 2026, from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to the Galilee, the Golan and the Ramon crater, and hotel sector employment reached an all-time high of 42,300 in 2025. International hotel nights reached 1.7 million between January and July 2026, up 11%, with almost 395,000 in July alone.

The Ministry is funding 58 tourism projects across the country in 2025/26, including around £15 million for infrastructure in the north and £44 million to renovate hotels used to house evacuees. Projects include the Port of Lights at the Port of Haifa, a sinkhole observation point at the Dead Sea, the Kishle and Herod's Palace in Jerusalem, a cycle trail in the foothills of Mount Hermon, a Bedouin Heritage Garden in Rahat and illuminated walking paths in the Valley of Springs. On 24 September Mr Izhakov opened the new northern pier at Ashdod Marina, 550 metres of promenade over the sea in a city with seven Blue Flag beaches.

"Israel has not waited for visitors to come back before investing," said Mr Izhakov. "We have changed the rules so that new hotels can be built faster, and we are funding new attractions from Haifa to the Dead Sea."


Three asks to the UK trade

"I have three asks for the UK travel industry," said Mr Izhakov. "1. Put Israel back in front of your clients. 2. Train you team on it. 3. Come and see it for yourselves and bring your clients with you.
IGTO in London will support you with content, familiarisation trips, product knowledge and the assets from our new campaign."

Every group booked from the UK puts people back to work. Of around 8,225 licensed tour guides in Israel, thousands are still waiting for a full return to work after three years of disruption.

Michael Ben Baruch, Director of the Israel Government Tourism Office UK and Ireland, said:

“Our job at WTM this week is to make Israel easy to sell again. The flights are back, the Foreign Office advice has changed, the product has grown and developed while clients were away and our ad campaign is live. Any agent or operator who wants training, content or a place on a familiarisation trip should come and talk to us on the stand."

The Ministry's target of seven million visitors a year by 2030 is unchanged. Israel welcomed 4.5 million international tourists in 2019.

ENDS

Notes to editors
• 13,100 UK visitors in September 2026, against 8,800 in September 2025: up almost 50%, the best September since 2023 and the strongest month since April 2025
• In September 2026 the UK was Israel's second-largest source market worldwide, behind the United States (52,800) and ahead of France (12,300), and the largest in Europe
• 135,500 international arrivals to Israel in September 2026, up 19% on September 2025; arrivals from Europe up 29%
• 24,900 UK visitors in June, July and August 2026, against 20,800 in 2025: up almost 20%
• 65,100 UK visitors January to September 2026, against 75,600 in 2025; the shortfall is confined to February to May
• 104,800 UK visitors to Israel in 2025, up a third on 2024; 10,000 in December 2025 alone, up 54% on December 2024
• For January to September 2026 the UK is Israel's third-largest source market, behind the United States and France
• 1.32 million international arrivals to Israel in 2025, up 37% on 2024 (962,000); 4.55 million in 2019
• 1.7 million international hotel nights, January to July 2026, up 11%; almost 395,000 in July. Hotel sector employment 42,300 in 2025, an all-time high
• 19 new hotels opening across Israel in 2026
• 88% of visitors in 2025 rated their experience positively; 83% would recommend Israel
• Target: seven million visitors a year by 2030
• Source: Israel Ministry of Tourism, Research and Statistics Unit
• UK-Israel air links: British Airways (London Heathrow, resumed 25 October 2026), Wizz Air (London Gatwick), El Al (London Heathrow), Israir (London Luton, since November 2024), Arkia (London Stansted, since August 2025)
About IGTO UK: The Israel Government Tourism Office UK and Ireland is the London office of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, promoting travel to Israel to UK consumers, media and the travel trade.



Jo Rosenblatt
Noteworthy Communications
+44 (0) 7703 534 007
[email protected]