Northern Galilee Tourism Reopens for Summer, but Fragile Calm Remains

After months of war and under a fragile ceasefire, the Galilee is trying to restart its tourism season as summer begins. Local business owners and residents know the security situation remains unstable, but they say any period of calm must be used to bring visitors back and support an economy that has been badly hurt.

In Bustan HaGalil, near Acre, Uri Cohen of Kibbutz Lohamei HaGeta'ot opened “Foodtruck Carmel51” last month in a field at Moshav Bustan HaGalil, next to the Ben Haim family nursery. The site sells Galilee-made sandwiches and desserts and hosts an artists’ and farmers’ market on Fridays. Cohen said the truck was supposed to open four months earlier, but plans were frozen when the fighting escalated. “It is so moving to open a new place in the north,” he said.

Water attractions are also returning. Kfar Blum’s “Kayaki Kfar Blum” will reopen on Wednesday with its family rafting route, about 4 kilometers long, from Beit Hillel. The route was refurbished after months of uncertainty, heavy winter rainfall brought more than 430 millimeters of rain in March near Kfar Blum, and Mount Hermon was covered with snow in May. CEO Guy Yirmak said the delayed launch marks “a significant sign of a return to routine,” despite staffing shortages.

Tourism efforts are also expanding in Druze and Circassian communities through the “Kfar Bikartem” initiative, which is launching free tours that include jeep trips, food experiences and cherry picking in the Galilee and Golan. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority has reopened all northern reserves and national parks that had been closed because of the security situation, including Banias, Tel Dan, Nahal Ayun, Nahal Snir, Achziv, Hurshat Tal, Baram and Yadiyot? no, and Yechiam. The Ministry for the Development of the Negev and Galilee plans to invest tens of millions of shekels this summer in major shows and festivals across the Upper and Western Galilee and the Golan Heights.