Israel recorded 110,900 visitor arrivals in July 2026, including 109,300 tourists and 1,600 day visitors, marking a 28.6% rise from July 2025, according to data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics. Despite this increase, cumulative visitor arrivals for January through July 2026 totaled 611,300, down 13.6% compared to 707,900 arrivals in the same period of 2025, and 22.2% below arrivals in the same seven months of 2024.
Tourists accounted for 603,200 of the January-July arrivals in 2026, reflecting an 11% decline from the previous year. The United States was the leading source market, supplying 35.5% of visitor arrivals in
the seven-month period, followed by France at 11.4%, the United Kingdom at 7.6%, and Russia at 5.1%. Air travel remained the dominant mode of entry, with 537,100 tourists reaching Israel by air from January to July 2026.
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Aviation dependency and source markets
The tourism sector’s recovery hinges on the performance of the aviation industry, which has been under heavy demand during the summer months of 2026. The average monthly visitor arrivals rose from 51,300 during February to April 2026 to approximately 76,000 from May to July, indicating gradual improvement as air connectivity stabilizes.
>Impact of Operation ‘Roaring Lion’ on air travel
Earlier in 2026, Operation ‘Roaring Lion’ forced the closure of Israeli
airspace, resulting in widespread cancellation of flights and severe disruption of international air traffic. This military operation curtailed the aviation network for several weeks, directly impacting the volume of international tourist arrivals.
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Gradual recovery amid ongoing challenges
Following the reopening of airspace, the tourism industry began to see increased visitor volumes from May 2026 onward. Nevertheless, the total arrivals remain well below prewar figures recorded in 2024 and 2025. The dependency on air travel exposes Israel’s tourism to vulnerabilities from any further aviation disruptions, underlining the sector’s fragile recovery trajectory through mid-2026.
