Foreign tourists have yet to return to Israel in pre-crisis numbers, deepening the stark disparity between the millions of Israelis traveling abroad and the subdued trickle of visitors arriving from overseas. August data published Sunday by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) underscores the persistent headwinds facing the inbound hospitality sector: even during the peak summer corridor, incoming visitor figures remained notably depressed.
3+Israel registered 117,600 visitor entries in August, down from 119,600 in August 2025. Most were tourists staying at least one night, while a smaller share were day visitors—including cruise ship passengers making brief shore excursions.
The contraction is even more pronounced across the year-to-date figures. Between January and August, Israel recorded 668,200 incoming entries, compared to 827,500 during the corresponding period last year. Despite increased flight operations throughout the summer, inbound tourism remains substantially below prior-year levels.
The United States remains the primary source market for visitors entering Israel, followed by France, the United Kingdom, and Russia. The breakdown highlights the sector’s heavy reliance on the American market, particularly while broader international travel demand remains suppressed.
3+Nevertheless, underlying data points toward an initial recovery trend. Over recent months, air arrivals have gained noticeable momentum. According to CBS seasonally adjusted metrics, the monthly average of tourist arrivals by air between June and August climbed significantly compared to the preceding three-month stretch, reflecting the gradual return of direct foreign routes.
Yet that modest rebound has been largely overshadowed by the sheer volume of Israelis leaving the country. August saw 1.41 million outbound departures by Israeli citizens, pushing the total for the first eight months of the year past 6 million. The disparity is unmistakable: while Israelis have rapidly resumed international leisure routines, inbound tourism has struggled to match that pace.
Flight departure patterns highlight this local rebound. Between June and August, an average of 790,300 Israelis flew abroad each month, more than double the monthly average of 331,400 recorded in the prior three months.
3+The report also detailed figures for expatriate Israelis returning for home visits. Of the 1.41 million departures recorded in August, the CBS categorized 70,600 as visits by Israeli expatriates. Starting in June, the CBS revised its statistical methodology for this demographic and retroactively adjusted historical data to enable accurate year-over-year comparisons.
3+The overall takeaway from August points to an uneven travel landscape: while incoming tourism shows initial signs of life via expanding air routes, total numbers remain subdued, even as Israeli outbound travel charges ahead toward pre-war routines.