After the tourism industry was almost completely shut down due to the outbreak of the Iron Sword war, it has begun to recover in recent weeks following the return of foreign airlines to Israel, and it seems that the cruise sector is also starting to recover. The cruise giant MSC Cruises reports a significant increase in cruise bookings among Israelis in recent weeks, with thousands of bookings expected to arrive next month.
In October, with the outbreak of the war, there was almost a complete halt in bookings, totaling only a few dozen bookings for cruises. In November, the number already rose to around 100 bookings, and in December there was a significant surge of 400% in bookings. In January, the number of bookings increased again with bookings for Passover and the summer vacation. MSC Cruises Israel data indicate that in January, around 1,500 bookings for cruises among Israelis were registered, despite the war.
MSC Cruises offers cruises worldwide, but the most sought-after destinations for Israeli travelers are Western Europe, with destinations such as Barcelona, Rome, Palma de Mallorca, and Genoa in Italy, and the fjords in Scandinavia. Additionally, the Caribbean islands are also experiencing an increase in demand following the lifting of the visa exemption for the United States, allowing Israelis to embark on cruises from Miami, New York, and Orlando.
Eyal Atias, CEO of MSC Cruises Israel: "After a period in which tourism in Israel came to a near complete halt due to the war, we are happy to see Israelis returning to sail and feeling confident to book vacations. The significant increase in the number of bookings we see each month indicates a recovery and testifies to the resilience of the Israeli public, who are able to look forward and start planning vacations. We are attentive to the needs of Israeli customers, and therefore, we announced about a month ago a flexible cancellation policy that allows customers to book a cruise with peace of mind."