Tourism Breaking News
As of midnight on May 20, 2022, testing is no longer required for anyone traveling to Israel. The requirement to present a negative RT-PCR test prior to departure, complete RT-PCR test upon arrival followed by isolation has also been removed. Travellers are still required to complete an entry statement (https://corona.health.gov.il/en/flights/) within the 48 hours from departure to Israel.
In addition to the removal of testing requirements, as of today (May 23), the mask mandate for international flights to/from Israel has been lifted as well.
Regarding the changes in entry protocols, Sammy Yahia, Director of Tourism to India & Philippines said, “This new development in Israel’s entry requirements is great step in being able to welcome visitors back to Israel. This will make traveling to Israel simpler and more relaxing, and your vacation will begin the moment you step off the plane. I for one am thrilled to have visitors enjoy my home country.”
The revised regulations can be found here: https://corona.health.gov.il/en/abroad/arriving-foreign-nationals/
All this, against the background of a slow and consistent rise in incoming tourism to Israel post-pandemic. 207,400 tourist entries were recorded in April of this year, compared with 30,200 in April 2021 and 405,000 in April 2019. This points to a continuation of the recovery trend for incoming tourism to Israel, with a significant increase in relation to April 2021 and a decrease of about 49% in relation to April 2019. The pace of tourist entries to date represents the basis for a forecast assessment of 1.5 to 2 million tourist entries in 2022.
