The Delhi event brought together more than 80 travel industry participants as Israel Tourism seeks to rebuild visitor numbers, strengthen trade partnerships and broaden the destination’s appeal beyond religious travel.
Israel Tourism has launched a three-city roadshow in India, beginning in New Delhi on 12 October 2026, to strengthen ties with the country’s outbound travel trade and promote a wider range of tourism experiences.
The Delhi event attracted more than 80 participants, including representatives from destination management companies Amaris Tours and Events and Satguru Travel. The programme provided a platform for Israeli tourism representatives and Indian travel professionals to discuss destination offerings, itinerary development and opportunities for future collaboration.
Galit Hoffman, Consul for Tourism Affairs in India, presented Israel’s tourism proposition, highlighting its cultural, coastal, urban and natural attractions alongside its established religious tourism offering.
Air connectivity featured prominently in discussions. Hoffman welcomed the reported resumption of five weekly Air India flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv, describing the development as positive for travel trade engagement. She also referred to the return of services by international carriers, including United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, as signs of improving connectivity.
However, airline schedules remain subject to operational changes, and travellers and agents should confirm current services before making bookings.
Rebuilding India’s visitor market
Israel Tourism is aiming to restore Indian arrivals to pre-pandemic levels and grow the market further. Hoffman said the destination had welcomed approximately 70,000 Indian visitors annually before the pandemic, a figure the tourism office hopes to regain. The longer-term ambition is to attract 100,000 Indian visitors a year.
The recovery remains dependent on wider travel conditions. Nitin Patni, destination management company manager at Satguru Travel, said Indian visitor numbers had declined since the war began but had shown signs of improvement in recent months. He estimated that growth of around 5–10% could be possible, depending on how the situation develops.
Satguru Travel has continued promoting Israel through travel exhibitions and other industry platforms, Patni said, while looking for further improvement as conditions allow.
Trade engagement and destination training
The Delhi roadshow is the first of three planned events, with Mumbai and Bengaluru next on the schedule. Israel Tourism also plans to conduct a webinar in December for travel agents unable to attend the in-person sessions.
Additional trade development initiatives include an online learning programme and familiarisation trips intended to give agents first-hand experience of the destination. Hoffman said two familiarisation trips were planned for November 2026, with a further five anticipated in 2027.
India is among Israel’s 10 leading source markets and is its largest market in Asia, according to Hoffman. The United States remains the destination’s largest source market, followed by several European countries.
Promoting Israel beyond religious tourism
While Israel remains closely associated with religious and pilgrimage travel, the tourism office is seeking to broaden its appeal among Indian visitors.
Hoffman highlighted Tel Aviv’s beaches, nightlife, art galleries, cultural attractions and innovation sector, alongside Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, northern Israel’s mountains and the desert. She recommended that travellers spend at least two days in Tel Aviv as part of a wider itinerary.
By combining destination promotion with direct trade meetings, training and familiarisation programmes, Israel Tourism aims to equip Indian travel professionals with a broader understanding of the country’s tourism offering and support the gradual recovery of visitor demand.
