In the midst of the Iran war and despite ongoing security concerns, Israel is sending its Tourism Director General to Paris – with a clear message: France is Israel’s most important European source of tourists, and Israel wants them back.
176,000 French visitors in 2025 – 70 percent of them Jewish
Israel’s Tourism Director General Michael Izhakov led the Israeli delegation at the IFTM tourism trade fair in Paris, which runs until September 17 and attracts around 30,000 tourism industry professionals. He met with senior representatives of the French tourism industry and leading airlines such as Air France and EasyJet, as well as French Tourism Minister Serge Papin.
France is Israel’s second-largest source of tourism after the United States and the first in Europe. More than 176,000 French nationals visited Israel in 2025 – around 70 percent of them Jewish. In the first eight months of 2026, 81,500 tourists from France had already arrived in Israel. Izhakov emphasized the strategic importance of the market: “We are here to strengthen cooperation and bring French tourists back to Israel. Inbound tourism is not only an engine of growth for employment and businesses – it also contributes to Israel’s positive image in the world.”
There are currently 57 direct weekly flights from Paris to Israel. During the winter season, there are expected to be over 70 weekly flights from across France. Israel’s pavilion at the fair covers 72 square meters and brings together representatives from El Al, the Tel Aviv Municipality, and Israeli tourism companies.
Visit or immigration?
The high proportion of Jewish visitors among French travelers to Israel is no coincidence. France has the largest Jewish community in Europe – estimated at 450,000 to 500,000 people – and has seen a sustained wave of aliyah to Israel for years. Many French Jews travel not merely as tourists, but to visit family members who have already emigrated, or to explore Israel as a potential future place of residence.
The growing antisemitism in France – ranging from attacks in Paris suburbs to assaults on Jewish schools and synagogues – has further reinforced this trend since October 7, 2023. For many French Jews, Israel is not simply a travel destination, but an anchor – a place that combines security and Jewish identity at a time when both are under pressure in France.
