Tourism is down almost 80% in Israel thus far in 2024, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
The month of May brought the highest religious holy days of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But Jerusalem was quiet. Pilgrimages were cancelled after the outbreak of warfare in Gaza, and Israeli officials do not expect a revival until 2025.
The collapse of religious tourism has had serious consequences for many local Christians who rely on pilgrims for their income. “Tourism in Palestine is effectively zeroed out,” said Majed Ishaq, director general of the marketing department of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Palestine. “Every day we lose $2.5 million.”