Israel's Nature Reserves See 900,000 Visitors During Sukkot Holiday

Israelis flocked to nature reserves and national parks across the country during the Sukkot holiday, with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority reporting approximately 900,000 entries to its sites. This figure includes both paid attractions and open trails, reserves, and parks.

Among the most popular destinations were the Gan Hashlosha National Park with nearly 29,200 visitors and the Ashkelon National Park attracting 25,600 people. Other highly visited sites included Afek National Park (18,600), Caesarea National Park (18,300), and Ein Gedi Nature Reserve (17,600).

The Ein Gedi Nature Reserve's high visitor numbers are particularly noteworthy, as the popular site had recently reopened parts of its trails, including the David Stream trail, after extensive rehabilitation following severe damage from a flash flood in May 2025. Three additional hiking routes were also made accessible to the public at the beginning of the holiday.

Authorities observed a significant return of visitors to popular tourist areas, especially in the north of the country. This trend is seen as a gradual return to pre-war holiday travel patterns. Overnight camping at the parks also saw numbers comparable to Sukkot 2025.