Israel Sets Its Sights on Canadian Travellers

Israel is open for business, and the Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) is looking to 2027 as the year Canadian travel to Israel rebounds, starting with a major North American marketing awareness campaign, returning airline capacity and renewed engagement with travel advisors forming the pillars of its comeback strategy.

That was the upbeat message delivered at a Toronto press conference yesterday at the Consulate General of Israel, where Israel Ministry of Tourism in Canada’s Jerry Adler, Deputy Director and Communications Director introduced the new Consul–Director for Canada Taimur Mansour, who offered a media preview of the new North American I Am Israel campaign, expected to have a wider Canadian release in the coming weeks.

The briefing brought together travel trade media, various tour operators and other local travel professionals, all there to hear how the Ministry plans to rekindle Canadian interest in a destination that, despite the headlines, is ready to welcome visitors.

A New Chapter for Canadian Tourism

“Israel has been open for business,” Adler told the gathering, making the point that the destination is ready to welcome visitors. The missing piece for Canada, he suggested, is getting the airlines back in the air with direct service.

Air Canada Holds the Key

Guest speaker, Yoram Elgrabli, Consul and Commissioner for North America who is based in New York City arrived with a roster of encouraging developments south of the border. United Airlines has resumed service, Delta Airlines has returned and additional U.S. connectivity is rebuilding, including routes from New York/Newark, and in October, Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles, alongside West Coast service. El Al continues to operate, as additional airline capacity is coming into the market. “These are the good signs ahead of us,” Elgrabli told the Toronto gathering.

Elgrabli said the Ministry is hopeful Air Canada will resume nonstop service in January 2027, although the schedule has yet to be formally published.

As Mansour told Baxter Media during an exclusive one-on-one interview, airlines themselves represent a powerful vote of confidence. “If there’s a flight coming, then it’s safe,” he said, arguing that airlines would not resume service if they did not believe the destination was sufficiently secure and operational.

From Sacred Stones to City Lights

The Ministry’s strategy for advisors is not to reinvent the Israel itinerary but to return to what it has traditionally sold best: the Israel classics.

Think Jerusalem, where ancient stones, sacred spaces and living history create the quintessential Israel experience. Then shift north to the Sea of Galilee, where the landscape changes gear and the water, hills and biblical associations offer another dimension of the classic itinerary.

But Mansour also sees an opportunity to broaden the sales pitch beyond pilgrimage and historical sightseeing. “It’s a full experience,” he said, pointing to the ability to combine Jerusalem and holy sites with wineries, food, diverse communities and contemporary Tel Aviv. That breadth, he believes, is particularly relevant to Canadian travellers seeking meaningful experiences rather than a conventional sightseeing checklist.

For advisors wondering where to start, Mansour’s advice is refreshingly uncomplicated: go back to the classics. Jerusalem and the Sea of Galilee remain strong entry points, particularly for faith and heritage travellers.

Changing the Conversation

The challenge right now, Mansour explained, is awareness.

Israel, he believes, has become too easily defined by the headlines, pushing the travel experience out of the picture. “Israel is different than what you see,” Mansour said in an interview with Baxter Media.

“There are people who love Israel,” Mansour said, and added, “They are waiting for the moment.”

His assessment is that once airlines return, confidence improves and advisors begin actively selling Israel again, then demand will follow. “I think it’s a matter of time,” he said.

A Digital Campaign with Heart

That message of awareness is at the heart of I Am Israel, a largely digital campaign built around real visitor experiences through short-form videos. Rather than presenting Israel solely through traditional destination imagery, the campaign aims to show what visitors actually encounter on the ground.

I Am Israel is expected to reach consumers through YouTube, Google, TikTok, Meta and other channels. Three primary videos target the campaign’s Jewish, Christian/evangelical and general audiences, supported by approximately 30 shorter experience-led videos. Adler relayed the videos are available to the travel trade by contacting his office directly.

For Canada, Mansour told Baxter Media that the campaign is expected to launch in the coming weeks, adding consumer awareness to the trade-rebuilding effort. Mansour said, “The strategy is clear: put real people, real experiences and the sheer variety of Israel back in front of travellers,” adding that Canadian advisors will have fresh material to start the conversation with their clients.

The Demand Is Already There

The Israel Ministry of Tourism  believes there already is pent-up demand in the Canadian market.

Mansour’s assessment is that the Ministry doesn’t need to invent an appetite for Israel as there are travellers who already have a connection to the country through faith, heritage, family, previous travel or simple curiosity. “Once advisors start selling again, and start building the tours, people will come,” he said.

That is why reconnecting with Canadian advisors is a priority. The Ministry plans to support the trade with webinars, training, roadshows and itinerary-building resources, while Mansour and Adler work to rebuild those industry relationships.

Elgrabli underscored the importance of that partnership, telling Canadian tourism professionals: “We are counting on you to rebuild together with Israel tourism for Canada and travel agents.”

In the photos 

Top Photo 

Invitees for the event pose for a group photo

Second Photo 

Seen here, from l to r, are Jerry Adler, Taimur Mansour and Yoram Elgrabli

Third Photo 

Taimur Mansour, Israel’s new Consul–Director for Canada