Iran War May Be Crushing Israel’s Tourism Industry

The Iran War may be hemorrhaging Israel's tourism industry.

Spencer LombardoJul 17, 20263 min read

Foreign Affairs

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The Iran War may be hemorrhaging Israel’s tourism industry.

Over 50,000 tickets to Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport may be cancelled due to U.S. Air Force presence, The Jerusalem Post reported Friday. Israel’s tourism industry employed over 350,000 people and generated $12 billion in direct revenue for the nation in 2023, according to Worldmetrics.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), Israeli Airport Authority, Israeli Transportation Ministry, and Israeli Tourism Ministry did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

The U.S. Air Force prefers to keep its refueling aircraft at Ben Guion since it’s less exposed to Iranian attacks than other airports closer to Iran, according to Axios. Washington reportedly told Israel that it plans to send dozens more refuelers there amid escalating tensions with Iran.

Efforts by the Israeli Transportation Ministry to relocate 10 of the 30 U.S. refuelers stationed at Ben-Gurion to Israeli Defense Force bases fell through because they didn’t meet the U.S. military’s needs, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The conflicts that followed the October 7 massacres in 2023 provided a shock to Israel’s tourism industry.

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“Well, it’s been almost 3 years so we are used to it, sadly enough,” an Isram Israel spokesperson told the DCNF when asked how potential delays may affect the tourism company’s operations. “Most visitors, groups and individuals, cancelled their trip a while back so the cancelled flights haven’t affected us from the USA which is our primary market. We are just counting the days, weeks, months hoping that something will make this nightmare end. Not just for us as a company but for Israel and the world.”

Around 64,400 tourists reportedly visited Israel in May 2026, a drop from the roughly 126,800 in May 2025, according to data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.

“The fate rests on a few players who have the power to change it all and meanwhile the rest of us sit by, no longer believing that a cease fire is a cease fire or an agreement carries any weight. It’s been proven to the contrary each time. Still, we keep the faith and don’t give up hope. It must happen soon. Must,” the spokesperson said.

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