JERUSALEM, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Foreign tourists' overnight stays at Israeli hotels rose sharply in 2025, surging 69.1 percent year-on-year to over 3.13 million, according to data released Wednesday by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics.
The increase follows a severe downturn in 2024, when overnight stays by foreign tourists plunged 75.9 percent amid a prolonged multi-front conflict that began in late 2023.
The recovery accelerated toward the end of 2025, with December alone recording about 340,600 stays -- nearly 2.5 times the number in the same month of 2024.
Analysts attribute the rebound to improved security conditions following ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the gradual return of foreign airline services to Israel.
Despite the strong growth, tourism remains well below pre-conflict levels. Foreign overnight stays in 2025 were still less than half of the 7.7 million recorded in 2023 and well below the peak of over 12.1 million reached in 2019.
