Israel targets 10,000 Indian tourists in rest of 2024, plans to launch e-visa despite unrest

Despite ongoing tensions in West Asia, Israel wants to welcome 10,000 Indian tourists in 2024 and plans to introduce an e-visa facility for Indian citizens in early 2025 to boost travel to the country, Amruta Bangera, director of marketing at Ministry of Israel in Israel. India tourism has been confirmed. She said around 8,500 Indian tourists have visited Israel by October 2024.

“In 2018, the country saw a record 70,800 Indian visitors. Although the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global travel, India’s arrivals started to rebound in 2022 with 30,900 visitors despite limited marketing. This positive trend continued in 2023 with 41,800 Indian tourists. by the end of 2024, we hope to reach around 10,000 Indian Visitors,” she told PTI.

Discussing the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has caused instability in the region, Bangera assured potential travelers of their safety and said: “Israel is safe for tourists and the conflict is mainly in the areas of border, which are forbidden to tourists. .” She acknowledged that while the conflict and media coverage had affected tourist numbers, she expressed optimism that the situation would improve in the coming months.

Read also: “War or no war,” Israel says it’s safe for all travelers; Indians can enjoy family holidays in Tel Aviv

IMOT proactively works with Indian travel agencies to position Israel as a top tourist destination. Bangera also mentioned plans to launch an e-visa program in early 2025, further encouraging Indian tourists to visit Israel.

Despite the geopolitical challenges, Israel has seen a steady recovery in global tourism. In 2019, the country hosted a record 4.9 million international visitors. After the pandemic shut down global travel, Israel welcomed 2.6 million tourists in 2022 and 3.1 million in 2023. “In 2024, Israel recorded 920,000 international arrivals between January and October,” Bangera added.

The Israel-Hamas conflict escalated after Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and the kidnapping of 250 people.

The involvement of Hezbollah in Lebanon increased the tension, with Israel retaliating with extensive military operations. These developments contributed to significant loss of life, including over 43,800 Palestinians in Gaza and over 3,400 in Lebanon, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.