The Israel Hotel Association released its occupancy report for October 2024 on Sunday, painting a worrying picture of the sector. Despite the traditionally vibrant Jewish holiday period, overnight stays in Israeli hotels fell 29% compared to October 2023, while international tourism collapsed due to the escalating conflict in the north. “About 90 hotels have closed their doors since the start of the war, or 20% of the sector, and the situation continues to deteriorate,” said Sivan Detauker, CEO of the Israel Hotel Association.
International tourism has virtually disappeared, with only 120,000 overnight stays recorded in October 2024, a drop of 63% compared to October 2023 and a drop of 86% compared to October 2022. Over the year, the figures are just as alarming : barely 1.6 million tourist nights were recorded in 2024, compared to 7.5 million the previous year.
Israeli overnight stays totaled 1.58 million in October, a drop of 29% year-on-year, despite the favorable holiday calendar. Large cities were particularly affected, with dramatic declines in Haifa (-51%), Tiberias (-45%) and Nazareth (-80%).
The average room occupancy rate reached 51% in October, compared to 63% last year, marking the lowest monthly level for 2024. Only a few destinations are holding up better, including Eilat (72%), Netanya (63%) and the Dead Sea (62%).
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, Israeli stays from January to October 2024 reached 17.8 million, compared to 13.9 million over the same period in 2023. This increase, however, is explained by the inclusion of evacuees from the north and the south in 2024 data.
