Israel launches major tourism campaign to entice Britons back to Tel Aviv - with drag artists, beach parties and delicious food all on offer

Published: 10:29 EDT, 6 November 2026 | Updated: 10:29 EDT, 6 November 2026 Israel has launched its first advertising campaign to encourage tourism since the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.The director general of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, Michael Izhakov, outlined a series of developments aimed at rebuilding confidence in Israel as a destination and encouraging the continued return of UK visitors.The campaign comes alongside improving air connectivity, with five airlines now operating services between the UK and Israel, and follows a change in Foreign Office travel advice in June.British visitor numbers rose by almost 50 per cent in September, making the UK Israel's second-largest source market for the month. I AM ISRAEL, a digital advertising campaign, is the first proactive advertising the ministry has run in the UK since before the deadly Hamas attacks that killed more than 1,200 people and saw around 251 others taken hostage.It launched in October this year and shows Israel's people, sites, food and landscapes, asking viewers to judge the destination for themselves. Israel has launched a campaign to lure British tourists in to visit destinations such as Tel Aviv Israel's Pride parades are famous, with drag queens and street parties'It is a tourism campaign, not a political campaign,' said Mr Izhakov. 'There are people in Britain who would prefer Israel did not advertise here at all. That is not their decision. 'We will promote our country the way every national tourism office promotes its own. Tourism is people meeting people. That is what we are advertising.'Travel in Israel includes experiences such as drag queens and beach parties, with the country's Pride celebrations in June among the biggest in the world, and the largest in the Middle East.The recovery of air connectivity between the UK and Israel has gathered momentum following the Foreign Office's decision to lift its advice against travel to Israel on June 3, 2026.British Airways has become the latest airline to resume services when it reinstated its London Heathrow to Tel Aviv route on October 25, following an eight-month suspension.Currently, the Foreign Office advises against all travel to parts of Israel but some remain without a warning, such as Tel Aviv. Public beaches on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv are stunning Vibrant and energetic, it's the first tourism campaign since October 2023Wizz Air is currently operating five weekly flights from London Gatwick, while El Al has maintained services throughout the period. Two Israeli carriers have also entered the UK market since October 2023, with Israir launching flights from London Luton in November 2024 and Arkia introducing services from London Stansted in August 2025.'Israel is a safe and open destination with a long record of looking after holidaymakers, and it welcomes visitors of every background and faith,' said Mr Izhakov.'What I can tell you is what this year's visitors say when they get home: nine in ten rate the experience positively, and more than eight in ten would recommend it.'