For Alex Sharpe, his three-day visit to Israel last month was not a political statement.
Rather, the CEO of Signature Travel Network flew to Tel Aviv on May 19 to meet with members of the travel industry there and form a small group with a simple mission. To understand what tourist destinations say about them and traveling there now.
“Our role has always been to inspire and educate our customers,” he said. “Social media, media in general, and misconceptions from others can blur perception and reality. Our job is not to convince someone to go, but to educate them about reality.”
The group, which included Frosch CEO Bryan Leibman, wanted to find out when tourism could return in earnest. With just 64 hours on the ground, they met with hotel managers and travel agents. They visited newly opened attractions, including a recently excavated pilgrimage route dating back to ancient Jerusalem and the new home of the National Library, which Sharp called “absolutely incredible.”
They also attacked some well-known areas, including the Old City of Jerusalem, the Galilee region, the Golan Heights, and Tel Aviv.
“The welcome from everyone we met was incredibly positive and warm,” Sharpe said. “The fact that we were there meant everything: drivers, bellmen, guides, hotel staff, and even everyday interactions on the street or in cafes.”
The Magdala Center in Galilee contains the ruins of a 1st-century synagogue and is believed to be the birthplace of Mary Magdalene. Photo credit: Travelex
The group noticed that the Old City was less crowded than usual, and saw this as a potential selling point. “From a tourist standpoint, this is a great time to travel,” Leibman said. “It’s a special opportunity to be able to go during off-peak hours without being crowded or waiting in line. I went into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and there was literally no wait. I usually wait in line for about two hours.”
But Tel Aviv was busier than ever. “Everything is open and life is largely back to normal, at least on the surface,” Sharp said.
Find the destination ambassador
Sharpe and Leibman both said that for tourism to Israel to really recover, air transport must be restored. Delta resumed flights from New York on June 7, and United resumed daily flights from Newark on June 6.
Israel's national airline, El Al, has never canceled any direct flights from the U.S. to Tel Aviv and is operating at very high capacity, Sharpe and Leibman said. Israel has long been a top-selling destination for Frosch, and Leibman said Christian-friendly groups are already returning “with high frequency.”
National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. Photo credit: Travelex
Another issue Sharpe identified was travel insurance coverage. This is imperfect, but better than expected, he said. He added that Signature's preferred insurance provider “understands the need to be flexible for advisors and clients.”
Finally, Sharp said, “You have to come up with a line.”
“I’ve always felt that destinations like Israel are best sold by advisors who can visit and explain firsthand,” Sharpe said. “And I think some clients will want to work with someone who has been there recently. It’s definitely reassuring to be able to say, ‘I was there last month and…’”
Sharpe said advisors should consider visiting later this summer or fall, and that Signature hopes to be able to sponsor educational trips for advisors later this year. “I know our partners will be very supportive,” he said.
Leibman felt the same way and wanted to be one of the ambassadors with first-hand experience.
“We are leaders in the industry and lead by example,” he said. “We felt it was very important to support the Israeli industry – our DMC partners, our guides, our hotel partners – and we take seriously part of our responsibility to lead and support those places in the industry.”
Sharpe and Leibman both compared their visit to going to Maui last fall in the early days of the wildfires and to other post-conflict destinations, such as Paris after the worst of the terrorist attacks.
“I block out the politics and think about what I can learn and how I and others can grow from the experience,” Sharp said.
Excavations of the pilgrimage route in the City of David National Park in Jerusalem. Photo credit: Travelex
Leibman said it's important for travel advisors and their clients to know that Israel feels safe.
“It's a great time to go. Everything is open and (visitors) may feel safer than they would at home,” said Leibman, who brought her son on the trip. “I felt comfortable going with my family. I never once felt in danger.”
Sharpe recommends that advisors avoid canceling groups booked for late 2024 and 2025. But efforts to promote Israel in a big way right now may not make sense “without getting caught up in political conversation and risking alienating customers,” he said.
But for advisors who know their clients and understand their risk tolerance, “there are opportunities,” he said.
