Israelis Flock Abroad in September While Tourist Arrivals Lag
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
In September, 1.23 million Israelis departed the country for overseas travel, a notable increase driven by the holiday season. While tourist arrivals also rose to 137,200, this figure remains below last year's levels, indicating a slow recovery. Air tourism shows signs of rebound, with monthly arrivals more than doubling from the previous quarter. Israelis living abroad also increased their visits during this period.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- 1.23 million Israelis departed for overseas travel in September, a holiday-driven increase.
- Tourist arrivals in September reached 137,200, but still trail behind the previous year.
- Air tourist arrivals more than doubled from the previous quarter, signaling a recovery.
- The United States leads inbound tourism, followed by France, the UK, and Russia.
- Departures by Israelis abroad for 'homeland visits' also saw an increase in September.
September's holiday season saw a significant surge in Israelis traveling overseas, with 1.23 million departures recorded, an increase from 1.05 million in September of the previous year. The majority of these departures, approximately 1.1 million, were by air, with smaller numbers traveling by land and sea. This trend reflects a broader increase in outbound Israeli travel, with the July-September period averaging 855,400 air departures monthly, up from 540,100 in April-June, indicating a 6% monthly growth.
Concurrently, Israel experienced a rise in tourist arrivals during September, with 137,200 visitors entering the country, including 135,500 tourists and 1,700 day visitors. This marks an increase from 115,300 arrivals in September of the prior year. However, this holiday boost has not been enough to close the cumulative gap, as January-September arrivals reached 805,400, compared to 942,800 in the same period last year.
Despite the overall deficit, there are signs of recovery in air tourism. The July-September period saw an average of 111,200 monthly air tourist arrivals, a substantial jump from the 48,200 average in April-June. The United States remains the leading source of tourists, accounting for 35.5% of all arrivals since the start of the year, followed by France (12.4%), the UK (8.2%), and Russia (4.7%). Additionally, 62,400 Israelis living abroad returned for visits during September, up from 56,900 in the previous year.
In summary, September's travel data presents a dual picture: a continued high volume of Israelis departing the country, particularly during holidays, and a recovering but still lagging inbound tourism sector compared to the previous year.
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