JERUSALEM. KAZINFORM — The number of foreign tourists visiting Israel in 2022 reached 2. 7 million, according to an annual report released Sunday through the country’s Central Bureau of Statistics, Xinhua reports.
That represents a 6. 8-fold increase from the 396,500 foreign tourists who visited Israel in 2021, when the country imposed access restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vaccinated and recovered tourists were allowed to enter Israel in January last year. Two months later, Israel opened its borders to all tourists.
Despite the increase in the number of foreign tourists last year, this figure is still 41. 3% lower than the pre-pandemic level of 2019, when 4. 6 million tourists visited Israel.
Israel’s earnings from inbound tourism, flight fees, were about NIS 13. 5 billion ($3. 85 billion) in 2022, up from NIS 23 billion in 2019, according to the country’s tourism ministry.
Of the 2. 7 million foreign tourists who visited Israel last year, 810,500 came from the United States, 235,500 from France and 177,900 from Britain, according to the report.
Open source photo