Israel’s tourism comeback: New Canadian chief says “great opportunity” lies ahead

After several years of war, geopolitical upheaval and diminished air access, Israel’s tourism industry is looking to rebuild.

And its new tourism chief in Canada believes there is an appetite for a comeback.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) welcomed Israeli officials, travel advisors, tour operators, media and partners to the Consulate General of Israel in downtown Toronto on Tuesday (Sept. 8) for a reception introducing Taimur Mansour, the ministry’s new consul and director of tourism for Canada.

As previously reported, Mansour, who took up the Toronto-based role in August, will lead IMOT’s efforts to grow Canadian visitation to Israel, strengthening relationships with the travel trade while overseeing roadshows, marketing campaigns and content initiatives aimed at reconnecting Canadians with the destination.

And he arrives at a pivotal moment.

Israel’s tourism sector has endured several years of setbacks as security concerns disrupted international travel, weakened consumer confidence and significantly reduced airline connectivity.

But with international airlines beginning to return, visitor numbers showing signs of improvement and IMOT investing in new tourism projects and marketing, officials on Tuesday struck an optimistic tone about what comes next.

READ MORE: Air Canada to restore Toronto-Tel Aviv service in early 2027: IMOT

“The recovery is just around the corner,” Yoram Elgrabli, consul and Tourism Commissioner for North America at Israel Ministry of Tourism, told attendees.

For Mansour, Canada is an important piece of that recovery.

“I chose to come to Canada during these challenging times because it's a strategic market,” he said. “It has one of the biggest Jewish communities in the world. It has a very strong Christian community, and during the pandemic, it was a central market that brought many people to Israel.”

“There is no other place like Israel"

Mansour brings roughly 15 years of experience with the Ministry of Tourism to Toronto, but his connection to the visitor experience began before he entered international tourism marketing.

He started his career as a tour guide.

“I was leading tourists and sharing stories about Israel, the heritage, the history, and the great experience of visiting Israel, which is a spiritual experience,” Mansour told guests. “There is no other place like Israel.”

An emphasis on people and diversity will be central to Mansour’s work in Canada.

READ MORE: Canada, U.S. visitors to Israel jump 73%, destination ramps up tourism investment

A member of Israel’s Druze community, an Arabic-speaking ethno-religious minority, Mansour said representing his heritage and introducing Canadians to Israel’s mix of communities, religions and cultures is personally important to him.

He acknowledges the challenges that remain, but is confident in the opportunity to show travellers an Israel that goes “beyond the headlines and what you see in the news.”

Speaking with PAX before his presentation, Mansour returned to that theme.

“Our focus is to show people that Israel is safe and open,” he said. “We want to show people the other side of Israel. There's a great opportunity to reconnect with people.”

Religious travel shows resilience

That rebuilding process has a long way to go.

According to the IMOT, Israel welcomed 34,700 visitors from the United States and Canada in June 2026, up 73 per cent compared with the same month last year, despite continued limitations on air service.

In 2019, Israel Tourism Statistics reached a record-breaking high of approximately 4.55 million international visitor arrivals total.

Yet some segments have proven remarkably resilient through Israel’s most difficult years.

Asked who is travelling to Israel today, Mansour pointed primarily to Jewish and Christian groups, pilgrims and organizations travelling to volunteer.

It’s a segment IMOT plans to lean into as recovery accelerates.

As previously reported, Israel has also unveiled new tourism projects aimed at enhancing its appeal to international visitors and supporting the destination’s longer-term recovery.

“I Am Israel”

Tuesday’s presentation included a preview of “I Am Israel,” IMOT’s North American marketing campaign launched in June to rekindle interest in the destination.

Elgrabli said the campaign is built around three key audiences: Christian evangelicals, the general travel market and Jewish travellers.

The initiative includes short videos tailored to each segment, showcasing the experiences of American and Canadian visitors currently travelling in Israel.

“When you go once to Israel, you'll want to go back again and again,” Elgrabli told the room.

For Mansour, getting people physically back into the country will be critical to changing perceptions.

“There is no substitute to actually being in Israel,” he said. “You cannot talk about Israel from afar, you also cannot tell about Israel in an office here in Toronto.”

Airlines return to Tel Aviv

There are encouraging signs on the aviation front.

Tuesday’s Toronto gathering coincided with United Airlines’ resumption of Newark-Tel Aviv flights.

The carrier is also set to restore Israel service from Washington-Dulles and Chicago in October, followed by San Francisco in early 2027.

Delta Air Lines returned to Israel on Monday, while EL AL Israel Airlines is expanding its North American network with new nonstop service between San Francisco and Tel Aviv beginning Oct. 25.

Israeli low-cost carrier Israir is also preparing to enter the U.S. market in October, while American Airlines plans to return to the New York-Tel Aviv market from JFK in March 2027, according to IMOT.

Canada, however, remains a question mark.

IMOT is hoping Air Canada will resume Toronto-Tel Aviv flights in January 2027, but the plan remains subject to change depending on conditions in the region.

Air Canada has repeatedly extended its suspension of service to Tel Aviv (as well as Dubai) amid uncertainty in the Middle East.

Mansour sees restored non-stop Canadian service as one of the most important ingredients in rebuilding the market.

“The first thing is connectivity,” he told PAX. “When airlines and hopefully Air Canada return to Israel, it’s a vote of confidence. It will show people it's very easy to come to Israel.”

Travel advisory remains a hurdle

Another significant barrier remains Canada’s travel advisory.

The Government of Canada currently advises Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to Israel due to the “volatile security situation in the region.”

Beyond affecting traveller sentiment, the advisory can create challenges for obtaining travel insurance – an issue PAX raised with Mansour.

“There is an advisory, but it's mid-level, which means the government recognizes that Israel is safe in general terms,” Mansour said.

“Yes, it’s a bit more difficult for people to buy insurance, but there are companies that sell insurance. I think this will change soon. Hopefully.”

The road to recovery involves several moving pieces: more airline seats, an improved security environment, changes to travel advisories and renewed confidence among travellers and the travel trade. 

Israel-Canada relations are also facing renewed strain. On that same Tuesday, Canada, alongside Britain and France, announced plans to ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, signalling a tougher stance in their relations with Israel.

But Mansour’s strategy also appears rooted in something more fundamental: getting Canadians to engage with a country he believes cannot be understood solely through news reports.

“I am a Druze. For me, it's personally important to show that Israel has minorities,” he told PAX. “We live and represent Israel. We invite people to come and hear our stories and meet Israeli people.”

It’s a message he will take across Canada as the IMOT works to reconnect with advisors, tour operators, religious organizations and other partners, including the segments that kept travelling through some of Israel’s most challenging periods.

“I think Canada has a great opportunity for tourism to Israel,” Mansour said. “I'm very excited for it.”

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