Israelis Shift Summer Travel Patterns with More Last-Minute Bookings and Higher Spending Abroad

Israeli summer travel habits are evolving, with a quarter of travelers booking flights at the last minute and younger tourists favoring Eastern destinations. According to data from MAX Travel and credit card transactions analyzed for summer 2026, Greece remains the top destination, accounting for 27% of flight bookings, followed by Cyprus at 13% and Italy at 7%, despite a 40% increase in flight prices to Greece. On average, bookings are made about two months in advance, but 13% of travelers book within the last week and 10% between one and two weeks before departure.

Younger Israelis under 35 show a strong preference for destinations in Asia, with 59% of transactions in Thailand and 54% in Japan made by this age group. Vietnam and India also attract younger travelers. In contrast, destinations like Germany, France, the UK, and the US see more than half of their bookings made by travelers aged 46 and older. Families are traveling in larger groups during the summer, with 36% of bookings including three or more tickets, compared to only 17% in winter.

Spending patterns vary significantly by destination. The highest average expenditure per ticket is in the US at 4,639 shekels, followed by Japan at 4,241 shekels, while Greece averages 1,675 shekels. Beyond flights and hotels, clothing and footwear represent the largest share of expenses abroad at 14.4%, followed by dining and food delivery at 13.8%. Spain stands out for fashion spending, with 24.4% of Israeli expenses there going to clothing and footwear, compared to 23.3% in Italy and 21.7% in England.

These trends illustrate that Israeli vacations extend well beyond airfare and accommodation costs, with significant post-arrival expenditures and shifting preferences in timing, destinations, and group sizes.