(JNS) The Gaza war continues to take its toll on Israel's tourism industry, with the country seeing only 58,600 tourist visits in January, compared to the 257,400 tourists who visited during the same month last year, marking a nearly 80 per cent decrease.
According to monthly figures released by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), only 500 single-day visits were registered, compared to 14,000 in January 2023, a 96 per cent decrease.
Also, far fewer Israelis are travelling abroad. In January 2024, 281,400 Israelis travelled to other countries, down from 611,100 in January 2023, a decrease of more than 50 per cent.
Last month, CBS released annual tourism numbers for 2023, which dropped off sharply toward the end of the year; the war broke out during the busiest tourism quarter of the year, which includes the Christmas holidays.
