With two major U.S. airlines planning to resume flights to Israel this spring, tour operators are cautiously arranging their return to the country.
The war between Israel and Hamas erupted after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by the militant group, stalling most leisure travel to Israel. But the Jan. 19 ceasefire agreement, paired with United's and Delta's plans to resume daily service to Tel Aviv from the New York area starting March 15 and April 1, respectively, has revived Americans' interest in the country.
ETS Tours, a Holy Land tour operator, began offering monthly departures last spring for groups of 15 to 20 travelers. Before the Oct. 7 attack, ETS would operate up to 60 Holy Land tours a month during peak season.
The company plans to begin offering regular departures in May following what it called "unprecedented" levels of interest due to pent-up demand. ETS predicts it will reach pre-Oct. 7 bookings in spring 2026, said business development vice president David Welch.
United and Delta's scheduled returns to Israel "reassures us in our decision to move full steam ahead," Welch said.
Ya'lla Tours USA, a tour operator specializing in the Mediterranean and Middle East, began to see Israel travel interest increase around Thanksgiving, said president Ronen Paldi. With several bookings a week, Ya'lla has tours booked for the second half of 2025 through 2026.
Paldi, who lives in Tel Aviv, expects to see "the [floodgates] start to open" in April with both the Passover and Easter holidays, referring to overall travel to Israel. "There is still an attitude of wait and see, but the wait is becoming very short," Paldi said. "We're seeing there's a lot of interest, a lot of requests, a lot of desire to be able to travel."
Ya'lla Tours USA says interest in travel to Israel has been growing since last Thanksgiving. Photo Credit: Ya'lla Tours USA
Tauck plans to operate five departures of its 14-day Israel and Jordan itinerary beginning in September and has eight departures planned for 2026.
Israel welcomed a record 1.3 million North American travelers in 2019. It was on track to beat that number in 2023 before the attack but ended the year with 1.1 million North American visitors.
It is unclear when travel might reach prewar levels: In 2024, Israel had 962,000 tourist arrivals, 68% lower than 2023. But December saw a 44% increase in arrivals year over year, according to the Israel Ministry of Tourism.
The ministry is also hoping to push the return of tourism by pumping $60 million into the industry to help struggling businesses and improve tourism infrastructure. The money will fund 55 projects this year, including laser shows at a marina in Eilat and monument illumination in Jerusalem.
"Our community is incredibly resilient, and the news of a ceasefire and the ongoing return of hostages continues to bring us hope for a peaceful future," said Yael Golan, interim tourism commissioner to North America. "Israel's tourism infrastructure continued to move forward during these challenging times with the introduction of new hotels, restaurants and museum exhibits."
Other countries absorb travelers
But not all operators are planning their return to Israel.
Intrepid's trips remain paused, as do Collette's. G Adventures is "in the process of looking at our product to determine if it still meets our needs and our commitment to supporting community tourism," a spokesperson said.
The larger region remains a "key destination" for North American travelers, an Intrepid spokesperson said. Morocco and Egypt were top-selling destinations for Americans in December.
Ya'lla observed an estimated 30% to 40% increase in bookings to Turkey last year compared with 2023, while nearby Greece saw a 75% jump in bookings. River cruise lines continue to offer Nile sailings in Egypt this year.
ETS reported similar behavior from its clients. Welch said Greece, West Africa and Turkey have absorbed bookings that would have otherwise been for Israel.
Even with growing interest from Americans, the U.S. State Department in January updated its Israel travel advisory urging Americans to reconsider traveling to the country because of terrorism and civil unrest.
Despite apprehension, "Israel is opening its doors very slowly but surely," Paldi said.