'2024 will be characterized by faith-based and solidarity tourism,' says Israeli tourism minister

The Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz departed for Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday to participate in the National Religious Broadcasters Convention.

Some 4,000 Christian communicators are expected to participate at the NRB Convention, the world’s largest conference for Christian media, including representatives of television stations, radio and worldwide print media, along with senior clergy from across the nations.

As part of his visit to the United States, Katz and colleagues will work to strengthen collaboration with tour operators and opinion leaders in the Christian world.

Katz will meet with marketing and media companies that specialize in the Christian market, including TBN, the largest Evangelical television network in America, and the Salem Group – which focuses on conservative Christian audiences.

The tourism minister will also meet with one of the largest travel service companies in the U.S., InterNova Travel Group, and the director of the U.S. Tour Operators (USTOA). The focus will be on ways to expand Christian tourism to Israel.

Katz is expected to express his gratitude for the Evangelical community’s support for Israel after the Oct. 7 massacre when speaking to international media outlets and when addressing the NRB attendees during his speech.

The Government Press Office (GPO) said that Katz will emphasize Israel's top priority for the travel sector right now, i.e. safety and security for international visitors, and inform the international public that most Christian tourism sites are operating as usual.

"The year 2024 will be characterized by faith-based and solidarity tourism. The NRB convention is a key event to garner support and promote travel to Israel. The American market is the largest source market for Israel, with the highest figures for incoming tourism, and very significant for the Israeli economy. Demand from the US is at a peak. We must maintain the momentum, and especially in light of the war, encourage as much as possible tourism to Israel," Katz said ahead of his trip to Nashville on Sunday.

The results of a poll on Inbound Tourism in 2023, conducted by the Ministry of Tourism in Israel, revealed that the United States is the largest source of incoming tourism for Israel, accounting for nearly one-third of the total number of tourists.

In 2023, the number of tourist arrivals from the U.S. increased by 12%, compared to 2019, the previous record year just before the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in Israeli borders closing

When visiting Israel, the survey revealed, a typical American tourist spends about 50% more money than the average amount spent by those arriving from other nations.

In addition, the majority (56%) of tourists visiting Israel are Christians and about one-fifth (21%) of all Israeli tourism is categorized as 'pilgrimage.'

The NRB Convention begins on Tuesday and will feature a trade fair where the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, will feature the highlights of the Christian pilgrim and tourist experience in Israel. The Tourism Ministry booth will provide a platform for attendees to meet with tour operators, social organizations, business entrepreneurs and others looking for future collaborations.

ALL ISRAEL NEWS Editor-in-Chief Joel Rosenberg will attend the NRB Convention, including the annual 'Breakfast to Honor Israel' on Thursday, featuring guest speaker Anat Sultan-Dadon, the Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States.

National Religious Broadcasters is a nonpartisan, international association of Christian communicators whose member organizations represent millions. They work to advocate for free speech rights for their members in governmental, corporate and media sectors. They aim to foster excellence, integrity and accountability by providing networking, educational, ministry, and relational opportunities.