JERUSALEM, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of foreign tourists visiting Israel in 2024 fell by 68.1 percent compared to 2023, according to data released by the country's Central Bureau of Statistics on Monday.
The number of tourists arriving in Israel last year totaled 961,300, compared to 3.01 million in the previous year and an all-time high of 4.55 million in 2019.
The statement attributed the significant decline to the ongoing conflict that broke out on Oct. 7, 2023.
Following the onset of the conflict, most foreign airlines have stopped or significantly reduced their flights to Israel.
The data also revealed that most of the tourists who visited Israel in 2024 came from the United States, France, Britain, and Russia.
Meanwhile, the number of departures abroad of Israelis decreased to 7.08 million in 2024, marking a 21.7-percent drop year-on-year. ■
