With the start of the season in South America and the wave of IDF discharges, tens of thousands of young Israelis are preparing for the "big trip." From now on, they will no longer need to navigate alone between dozens of services and providers. Amsalem Tours is launching a new backpacker division offering a comprehensive 24/7 service package, from planning to returning home.
The move comes at a perfect time – the group reports a roughly 57% increase in backpacker trip bookings over the past year, as part of current trends and thanks to the low dollar exchange rate, which makes longer trips more feasible than usual.
Wave after Wave
September marks the start of the IDF discharge wave and the opening of the tourist season in South America, which runs from September to March. As is known, the "ascending wave" begins in September in Argentina and usually ends two months later in Mexico. The "descending wave" season begins in May-June in Cancun, Mexico, and concludes in December-January in Argentina.
The "big trip" usually requires a lot of logistics, coordination, and careful planning to synchronize schedules from multiple sources. This year, demand is higher than ever, and trip durations may be extended, thanks to the low dollar exchange rate, which makes the timing especially advantageous.
Amsalem Tours, owned by businessmen Yaakov and Eliezer Amsalem, identified the growing need to provide services in one place. The new division will provide travelers – who often require changes, flexibility, and improvisation at odd hours in Israel – with real-time services and products 24/7.
The full service package includes purchasing transatlantic and domestic flights, consulting to build an initial itinerary, assistance with obtaining visas, dedicated meetings and groups that help connect travelers and find travel partners, personalized travel insurance, and, of course, flight change services without any additional handling fees.
Yaakov Amsalem, owner and CEO of Amsalem Tours, notes: "As part of expanding our global operations, we chose to focus on the backpacker community, which shows significant growth in this category year after year. Our goal is to simplify and make planning the 'big trip' – often considered particularly cumbersome – more accessible. The service package we offer sets a standard for how the younger generation experiences the 'big trip' – not only as an unforgettable adventure but also as an experience supported by a professional and secure framework, available to them and their families at any time."
Aviram Massas, division manager at Amsalem Tours, explains: "Trip planning requires flexibility and a systemic 24/7 perspective, both personally and in terms of specific countries. There is a changing dynamic at each destination, as we have seen in recent years. Alongside professionalism, as a parent, knowing that someone is taking care of everything behind the scenes at all times provides a great sense of security and peace of mind for the traveler and their family. The division teams will provide close support for every change, update, or need that arises at any hour on the move – leaving the traveler free to focus on enjoyment."
Idan Zusman, manager of the backpacker department at Amsalem Tours, added: "The challenging times we are experiencing encourage many young people to go out and refresh themselves en masse, and the low dollar rate allows them to extend what is already an expensive trip by several weeks, so they are absolutely benefiting. The service package we offer provides travelers with added value – beyond the convenience of planning and bookings – also serving as a platform that connects travel partners and includes additional services in our exclusive package, such as flight changes, for which we do not charge extra handling fees."