Effects of Conflict on Tourism in Israel: Airlines Suspend Flights and Future Impact Discussed

2023-10-09 14:37:00

This obviously takes second place in view of the general situation in Israel and Palestine, but the impact is already significant on tourist activity. Most airlines (Air France, KLM, Transavia, etc.) have already canceled their flights to Israeli airports, and this is also the case for Belgian players.

Thus, Brussels Airlines and other companies belonging to the Lufthansa group are suspending all their scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv until Saturday October 14 inclusive, the company announced Monday followingnoon in a press release.

The company mentions a “deep analysis” on “the still uncertain evolution of the security situation in Israel”.

On the other hand, TUI has also suspended its activities on site. “We organize city trips and tours with flights operated by Brussels Airlines,” says Sarah Saucin, spokesperson for the country’s largest tour operator. The destination is not one of the most popular with our customers, and we do not currently have any customers there. Regardless, we are canceling trips scheduled through October 21.”

On the other hand, this new conflagration risks hurting the sector in the months (or years?) to come. Israel has managed to attract more and more international tourists in recent years. In December, TUI is expected to open a line between Antwerp and Tel Aviv. “It is still too early to make a decision, but we will have to keep the situation under review.”

Finally, Foreign Affairs changed its travel advisory late Sunday evening. “The situation is serious. This is why all non-essential travel to the region (Israel, Jerusalem, Palestinian Territory) is strongly discouraged. All travel to Gaza remains strictly discouraged,” we read on the Foreign Affairs website. “We will see in the coming days whether we need to strengthen this opinion,” indicates Nicolas Fierens Gevaert, spokesperson for Foreign Affairs. “All trips to Gaza have already been strongly discouraged for a long time.”

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