Tourists from the US are the heaviest spenders among tourists visiting Israel, spending $1,042 on average per visit, according to a new report published by Mastercard on Monday.
The next heaviest spenders are Swiss tourists, followed by tourists from the UK, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico and India. The average tourist in Israel spends $806 during a visit.
What did tourists spend their money on in Israel?
What tourists spend their money on depends on where they're from, with Italian spenders dedicating 34% of their total expenses to culinary experiences, while Indian visitors tend to dedicate a similar portion (39%) to accommodations.
Dutch tourists dedicated the most to transportation and travel expenses, spending 10% on the category. Dutch tourists also dedicate a significant part of their budget (31%) to culinary experiences.
Tourists visiting the Holy Land spend more time on average in Jerusalem than in Tel Aviv, with the average visit to the capital being 4.7 nights and the average visit to the White City being 3.7 nights. Overall, the average length of visits to Israel in 2022 was 7.3 days.
In both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the US makes up the largest portion of tourists (making up 31% of tourists in Tel Aviv and 58% in Jerusalem), followed by the UK and Germany.
Most tourists visiting Israel come from (in alphabetical order) Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and the US.
Tourists spend more in Tel Aviv than in Jerusalem
Despite staying longer in the capital, tourists tend to spend more in Tel Aviv than in Jerusalem, with the average spending of tourists in Tel Aviv sitting at $319, compared to $289 in Jerusalem.
Israel's tourism industry has made a rebound from the hit it took during the coronavirus outbreak, with spending on entertainment and experiences climbing by 65.1% in March 2023 compared to March 2022. In the first quarter of this year, tourist spending on entertainment and experiences climbed by 3.3% compared to the first quarter of 2022.
In terms of shopping expenses, tourist expenses in March 2023 rose by 38% compared to March 2022.
According to Mastercard's data, most tourists arrived in November, as that was the month in which the most transactions were carried out in 2022.
Mastercard released data about Israel's tourism market as it announced the launch of its Priceless Platform in Israel.