The First Signs of Recovery Are Here: The IMTM 2026 International Tourism Exhibition Opened

This morning (Tuesday, 3.2.2026), the IMTM 2026 International Tourism Exhibition opened, aiming to connect the tourism offered by the State of Israel with countries around the world. The exhibition, held in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism for the 32nd year, includes approximately 95 pavilions from 16 countries, with the participation of over 180 exhibitors and dozens of senior officials and ambassadors. The red ribbon cutting ceremony was held in the presence of senior officials, including: Haim Katz - Minister of Tourism, Mike Huckabee - US Ambassador to Israel, Eli Cohen - President of the Israel Hotel Association, Rina Kameni - CEO of the Israel Association of Travel Agencies, Yossi Fatal - CEO of the Chamber of Inbound Tourism, Lior Gelfand - IMTM Tourism Exhibition Initiator, and Chairman of the Chamber of Inbound Tourism Organizers - Eyal Shmueli, publisher of ITN and IMTM Tourism Exhibition Initiator.

IMTM - International Mediterranean Tourism Market 2026: Opened in Pavilion 2 at EXPO Tel Aviv. Despite the challenges of the war, the exhibition this year features a significant presence of participating countries and senior officials from around the world, as part of their willingness to forge business ties with the State of Israel and capture the Israeli tourist market. Alongside the impressive response from exhibitors, there was high demand this year for visitor registration, positioning the exhibition as a pilgrimage site for everyone involved in and breathing tourism. It is marked as the event that will shape and dictate the landscape of the tourism industry in Israel for 2026. The exhibition will serve as the professional compass that will lead the recovery and growth of both the local and international markets.

Among the delegations participating in the exhibition this year: Albania, Vietnam, Georgia, Canada, Slovakia, Greece, Zambia, Hungary, China, Crete, Taiwan, India, Azerbaijan, Romania, Slovakia.

Senior officials who arrived from dozens of countries around the world: President of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) - Angela Varela, together with a senior advisor to the Minister of Tourism, Minister of Tourism of Montenegro - Simonida Kordić, who also serves as Chair of the Committee for European Affairs, CEO of the National Tourism Board of Azerbaijan - Florian Sengstschmid, US Ambassador to Israel - Michael Dale Huckabee, alongside staff from the Economic and Consular Departments of the embassy.

Haim Katz, Minister of Tourism: "The uncertainty and travel warnings have harmed tourism activity, but with the improvement in flight availability in 2026, there is reason for optimism because the first signs of recovery are already here. Accordingly, we are increasing investment in marketing and will soon launch a new flagship campaign in the US called I AM ISRAEL - which addresses Israel-supporting audiences, Evangelicals, and Jews separately with dedicated language. This is alongside continued advertising and hosting activities in other leading markets. Our goal is not just to return to what was, but to improve and break records. We worked to provide the industry with the maximum tools for preservation and rapid recovery, among other things, through dedicated budgets for the rehabilitation of hotels that hosted evacuees, preservation of vital manpower for inbound tourism organizers, and encouragement of domestic tourism and tours with guides, as part of the Israeli Tourism Month initiative."

About: IMTM is the annual and longest-running event in Israel's tourism sector, organized by Artra Ltd. and Israel Travel News company, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and sponsored by the Israel Hotel Association, the Chamber of Inbound Tourism Organizers in Israel, the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Tourism Association, El Al Airlines, The Travel Channel, and the Israel Association of Travel Agents.

(Photo: Public Relations)