Israel is betting on Christian pilgrims, faith-based Holy Land travelers, and Jewish communities to serve as a springboard to kickstart the recovery of a tourism industry ravaged by two years of war and held back by the ongoing geopolitical uncertainty.
The Tourism Ministry said Tuesday that it is allocating more than NIS 20 million ($6.5 million) to a digital campaign focused on North America.
“The uncertainty and travel warnings have hurt tourism activity, but with the improvement in flight availability in 2026, there is reason for optimism that the seeds of a recovery are already here,” said Tourism Minister Haim Katz at the International Mediterranean Tourism Market fair in Tel Aviv.
“Hence, we are increasing our investment in marketing and will soon launch a new flagship campaign in the US named ‘I AM ISRAEL’ to appeal to audiences that are Israel supporters, Evangelicals, and Jewish communities.”
The two-day international tourism exhibition, which is expected to be attended by about 12,000 visitors, features over 180 exhibitors. Among the countries that set up pavilions are Greece, China, Vietnam, Georgia, Canada, Slovakia, Hungary, Taiwan, and Azerbaijan.
Speaking to The Times of Israel, Tourism Ministry Director General Michael Izhakov said that the ministry’s campaign aims to show life in Israel after two years of war with Hamas, Iran and Iran’s regional proxies, which has deterred foreign tourists. Many have also stayed away due to rising anti-Israel sentiment around the globe, fueled by anger over the country’s conduct during the war in Gaza and images of Palestinian suffering.
While the war in Gaza wound down following a ceasefire agreement signed in October, current tensions over a potential US attack on Iran are stoking uncertainty over the security situation. Tehran has said it would strike US allies in the region, specifically Israel, if attacked by Washington.
“With the campaign, we want to show that there is life on the streets and beaches in Israel, and that we are not a country that is dangerous or unsafe,” said Izhakov. “Many people want to come and visit the Land of the Bible.”
Izhakov said that 140,000 visitors have already entered Israel so far this year, more than double the 63,000 entries during the same period in 2025. But it will take time before tourists and visitors begin returning to Israel in the large numbers seen before the outbreak of war in October 2023, reviving the tourism industry and contributing to the recovery of the economy.
In 2023, before the Hamas attack on October 7, the country had been projected to draw 5.5 million visitors, a million more than 2019’s record high of 4.5 million. In the end, 3 million people visited in 2023, according to Tourism Ministry data.
In 2024, the number of visitors failed to crack 1 million, and only about 1.3 million visited in 2025.
“We cautiously estimate that 2 million to 3 million tourists will visit Israel in 2026, which is a nice recovery,” said Izhakov.
Speaking at the launch event of HolyLandTravel.ai, a new AI-driven pilgrimage planning app to help bring back Christian tourists, held at the IMTM fair, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee expressed confidence that incoming tourism will come roaring back, while acknowledging that it will take time.
“I tell my friends back in the US, if you ever thought about coming to Israel, come right now,” said Huckabee. “Tourism is down so substantially because of the war and all of the tension in the area, but places that I’m walking right into, whether it’s a restaurant, or a hotel, or one of the incredible biblical sites, there are no lines.”
He added, “But the question I always get asked is whether it is safe? And I say, I feel completely at home and safe in Israel, there may be tension in various places, but we have that in the US too.”
Huckabee recounted that over the past half a century, he has led countless groups of American pilgrims on more than 100 trips to the Holy Land as an evangelical pastor, before moving to Jerusalem as the US ambassador.
“There are 80 million Evangelical Christians in America, and all of them would want to travel here,” said Huckabee. “I have seen hundreds of all ages make the journey and experience a trip of a lifetime.”
“Once you have come to Israel and walked the land, for the rest of your life you will read the Bible in 4K living dynamic color,” he enthused.
HolyLandTravel.ai is an initiative by American-Israeli philanthropist Jack Gottlieb, the founder of World Jewish Travel, a platform dedicated to promoting Jewish heritage and culture globally.
“This is one of the most practical tools that I’ve ever seen for people who are planning to make a trip to the Holy Land,” said Huckabee.
The free interactive AI travel app, developed together with computer science students at Reichman University in Herzliya, is geared to help Evangelical Christians easily build tailor-made pilgrimage itineraries, including destination, dates, and budget.
The app auto-generates customized podcasts and video tours with an AI guide teaching about the sites, themes and faith journeys selected by the user, alongside an integrated Google Maps-based layer.
“Whether at home or already in the land, pilgrims can bring the Bible alive by planning their journey and logistics in seconds, then kick back for days learning about each and every place with their own specially generated AI podcasts and videos,” said Gottlieb. “We have begun by showcasing the city of Jerusalem, and within months we will have the entire land at click’s length.”
“We are first gifting this to the Evangelical Christian world, Israel’s largest and most loyal audience, with plans to improve the experience to give every person from all denominations and faiths the opportunity to see Israel in the best possible light,” he said.
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