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Israel’s Tourism Minister Haim Katz Bolsters Tourism Ties with India Through Strategic Meetings and Networking Events: Here is What You Need to Know

Monday, February 3, 2025

Israel tourism

Recently, Israel’s Minister of Tourism, Haim Katz, completed a significant trip to India aimed at bolstering tourism relations. The visit featured a number of high-level meetings with key figures in the industry and multiple networking events aimed at engaging with the travel sector.

During his stay, Minister Katz held discussions with his Indian counterpart, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, focusing on enhancing the tourism partnership between their countries, leveraging their deep-rooted historical and cultural ties. Accompanying Katz was a delegation from the Israel Ministry of Tourism, including Ambassador Peleg Lewi, Foreign Affairs Advisor, and Hassan Madah, Director of International Marketing. They also met with Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India, to explore opportunities for better flight connectivity and to facilitate easier travel to Israel.

The delegation participated in the OTM 2025, a prominent travel trade show in India, where Minister Katz officiated the opening at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on January 30. Addressing the event, he highlighted India’s importance to Israel’s tourism strategy and expressed commitment to expanding collaboration with the Indian travel industry. The Israel booth at the event was recognized with the Best Booth Decoration Award for its innovative design and engaging elements.

Additional networking events were organized in Delhi and Mumbai, attracting travel associations, trade members, and online travel agencies. These meetings served as a platform to discuss market dynamics and collaborative efforts to promote Israel as a leading travel destination. Katz commented on the significant increase in Indian visitors to Israel in 2024 and encouraged further tourism, emphasizing Israel’s readiness to welcome more tourists.

Despite geopolitical challenges, India has shown strong potential as a key market for Israeli tourism, with 9,600 Indian tourists recorded in 2024. Following a recent ceasefire and the resumption of Air India flights to Israel starting March 2025, these numbers are expected to rise. Overall, Israel welcomed 961,700 international tourists in 2024.

To facilitate travel, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism introduced an e-visa system in January, targeting Indian families and simplifying the application process through a new digital platform. This system aligns with Israel’s Entry Travel Authorization (ETA) and is initially available to Indian nationals, with plans to expand globally.

The visit by Minister Katz signifies the growing strategic importance of India as a market for Israeli tourism. Looking forward, the Israel Ministry of Tourism plans an extensive engagement strategy for 2025, including more trade shows, media outreach, and immersive events across India, aiming to position Israel as an attractive destination all year round.

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