Israel is a member of the Task Force on "Redesigning Tourism for the Future"

Global Leadership in Tourism Innovation

• Israel, a global leader in tourism innovation, hosted the prestigious Global Tourism Innovation Forum in collaboration with UNWTO in Tel Aviv, on February 14-17, 2023.
• Support from UNWTO: UNWTO recognizes Israel's commitment to innovation and will explore further collaboration through the Innovation and Digital Transformation (IDT) program.

Sustainable Rural Tourism Development

(Match: Israel's Ministry of Tourism, together with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ecotourism Israel association, is focused on supporting the development of tourism within local communities)

• Explore the possibility of organizing joint initiatives on a regional scale to enhance rural tourism experiences and foster community-based sustainable tourism.
• UNWTO Rural Tourism Development Programme - Best Tourism Villages of the World: International Label; Tourism Villages Upgrade Programme; Best Tourism Villages Network
  • Israel has submitted a maximum of 3 applications for both 2022 and 2023
  • Kfar Kama has been chosen as one of the Best Tourism Villages, while Neot Semadar was elected for the BTV Upgrade Program.

Diversification and Enrichment of the Tourism Offer 

(Match:  Israel is putting emphasis on the diversification and improvement of the product and intensification of the tourist experience)

• Organization of an ICCA Masterclass on the Meetings industry
• Support for Key Segments: UNWTO can provide assistance in strengthening Israel's tourism segments of interest, such as gastronomic and sports tourism, through capacity-building activities and knowledge exchange with other destinations.

Empowering Education and Training for Tourism Excellence

(Match: Israel seeks to enhance the competitiveness of its tourism sector through effective marketing strategies and improved destination promotion.)

• Tailored Training Programs: UNWTO.Academy will offer customized training programs to support local tourism stakeholders in developing effective marketing strategies, enhancing tourism products, and improving overall competitiveness.
• Israel's Tourism Youth League: UNWTO recognizes the importance of youth engagement and applauds Israel's launch of the Tourism Youth League, fostering future leaders and innovators in the tourism industry.
• UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition: Celebrating Israeli innovation, Travaxy Accessible Travel Solutions, an Israeli startup, emerged as one of the winners of the UNWTO SDGs Global Startup Competition. This showcases Israel's commitment to inclusivity and accessibility in tourism.

Tourism Policy

Priorities

1. Development of new visitor markets while at the same time consolidating existing markets
2. New investment for both the tourism product and related public infrastructure
3. Creating easier access to tourism information through digital platforms 
4. Develop the competitiveness of tourism SMEs with training and marketing support, and the creation of high-quality jobs across the sector

Tourism Law

Work is underway to update the Tourism Services Law, which is 40 years old. Many provisions will be revised to reflect today’s customer trends but others will be maintained, relating to, for example, tax refunds and hotel grading arrangements. The most significant modification is deregulation connected to tour guiding. As a result, the new law will integrate the issues of tour guide education, licensing and working requirements, as well as putting a duty on inbound tourists to use an Israeli licensed tour guide.

Source : OECD