Tel Aviv, Oct. 1, 2024.
On my recent trip to Israel, we walked through the streets of Jaffa, visited the flea market and explored the famous galleries in the old town, overlooking the blue Mediterranean Sea. In the afternoon, we headed to the beach and at 7:30 p.m., as sirens sounded across the country, we rushed to the bomb shelter in the basement of the Armon Hayarkon Hotel in Tel Aviv. There, we listened as the Iron Dome intercepted ballistic missiles launched by Iran, which had damaged 100 homes in northern Tel Aviv.
That same evening, two Hamas terrorists took a train to Jaffa and opened fire, killing seven and injuring 16, not far from where we had been just a few hours earlier.
The following day, we enjoyed breakfast at a restaurant on Dizengoff Boulevard before shopping at the bustling Carmel Market. Life seemed to carry on as usual, with little indication of the events from the night before.
A couple of days later, on Saturday, Oct. 5, while visiting Haifa, we rushed to the bomb shelter again after rockets were fired from Lebanon. Ten minutes later, when the shelter time was up, we got in the car and headed to Caesarea. A few families strolled through the archaeological park, originally built in Roman-ruled Judea under the Jewish client king, Herod the Great, around 22 BCE. Some fishermen sat with their poles unbothered by the fact that only a short time earlier they had to run for shelter as rockets were sent to Israel from Lebanon. And a bride and groom posed for photos before their wedding that day.
The boutiques, restaurants and ice cream parlor were mostly empty. “We almost don’t see any tourists here,” a gallery owner told me. “People are afraid to visit Israel.”
I heard similar sentiments from many store owners in tourist areas. At the flea market in Jaffa, several shops had closed by 1 p.m., and those still open stood empty. Jacob Cohanim, a jewelry and clothing store owner, considered closing his shop, as business had dwindled since Oct.7 of last year.
“I’ve been here for 40 years, and this is the worst it’s ever been,” he said. “Nobody is coming. I’m using my savings to pay rent and support my family. Many stores are either closed for good or open late and close early.”
“I’ve been here for 40 years, and this is the worst it’s ever been.” – Jacob Cohanim
Other store owners echoed his feelings, imploring the few passersby to check out their merchandise, but customers rarely buy anything. “I don’t know where I’m going to go from here,” said Eli Davidov, who owns a souvenir store. “I come here every day, open at 10 a.m., and close at 4 p.m. There’s no point in staying open longer; we have no customers. Even locals are afraid to come here. Where would they escape if the sirens go off?”
Israel’s tourism industry has seen a major drop in visitors over the past year, and it’s unclear when things will improve. Almost all European airlines have announced cancellations of their routes to Israel, with tentative plans to resume between October 14-31, but it remains uncertain.
This drastic decline in tourism has affected many businesses, from restaurants to travel agents and tour guides. Avi Agajany, vice president of the Israel Hotel Association, noted that while the government provided assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, little help is available now, except for travel agents.
“Before Oct. 7, hotels in Jerusalem were occupied by 85% tourists and 15% inside tourism, while Tel Aviv had 75% tourists and 25% inside tourism,” he said. That’s now flipped; only 15% of hotel guests in Jerusalem are tourists, same goes for Tel Aviv. And these tourists are mainly those visiting family members in Israel. There’s no real tourism.”
Between January and September 2023, Israel welcomed 2.8 million tourists. However, from January to July 2024, there was a 73% drop in the number of tourists entering the country. It is estimated that by the end of 2024, Israel will see only 1 million visitors, primarily consisting of Israelis living abroad visiting family, solidarity delegations and some Birthright groups.
Additionally, rising flight prices have compounded the issue. With only El Al operating flights to Israel, prices have skyrocketed. The airline’s revenue in the first quarter of 2024 was 48% higher than in the same period in 2023, with profits exceeding $80 million. In the second quarter, it set another record with a net profit of $147.4 million.
On Sunday, Oct. 6, after visiting family in Be’er Sheva, in the southern part of Israel, we planned to travel to Tel Aviv by bus when we heard that a Bedouin had opened fire inside a bus station, killing a 19-year-old female Border Police officer and wounding 10 others. The gunman, identified as Ahmad al-Uqbi, 29, entered a McDonald’s and opened fire.
Our plans changed — again. After receiving warnings about a potential suicide bomber planning a mass attack in Jerusalem, we canceled our plans to stay in the city for Yom Kippur. Authorities feared that a Palestinian terrorist might infiltrate from the Bethlehem or Ramallah areas. During the High Holy Days, the IDF intensified operations to locate terrorists in Bethlehem. In response to multiple warnings, the Jerusalem Police bolstered their forces, setting up checkpoints at the city’s entrances and along its seam line. Border Police were also patrolling East Jerusalem to locate suspects, conducting both open and undercover patrols.
There is much uncertainty. On Oct. 7, 2024, as Israeli TV broadcast continuous interviews with survivors and released hostages, reports surfaced of rockets fired at Israel from Lebanon and a missile launched from Yemen. There were also constant updates in recent days about soldiers killed in Lebanon, most of them in their early 20s. We decided to stay in; home seemed to be the safest place to be.
Israel is a country at war and the impact on its economy will likely last for years. Convincing people to visit a country in conflict is a significant challenge. With time, however, the sirens and occasional reports of terrorist attacks will diminish, allowing the vibrant markets, beautiful beaches and hotels to once again fill with tourists.
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