Israel Hotels Report 15.1 Million Overnight Stays in First Nine Months of 2026

Israel's hotel industry continues to navigate a turbulent period amid ongoing security challenges, according to data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) covering the first nine months of 2026. The figures reflect the continuous upheaval experienced by the sector since the outbreak of the Iron Swords war, through Operation Am Kalavi in June 2025, and up to the launch of Operation Roaring Lion in late February this year.

According to the original data, approximately 15.1 million overnight stays were recorded in tourist hotels across the country between January and September 2026, marking a moderate decline compared to 15.8 million during the same period in 2025. Domestic travelers sustained the bulk of the activity with 12.7 million overnight stays, accounting for 84 percent of the total, down from 13.8 million, or 87 percent, last year. Conversely, tourist overnight stays saw a slight increase to 2.5 million, representing 16 percent of the total, compared to just 2.1 million in the first nine months of 2025.

The impact on operations is also evident in the national room occupancy rate, which stood at a modest 50 percent compared to 53 percent in the corresponding period last year. Furthermore, the report highlights a stark contrast between various regions: while the Southern District enjoyed relatively high demand with an average room occupancy of 66 percent, the Northern District continued to bear the brunt of the security situation, registering a mere 36 percent occupancy rate.

As of August 2026, the country's hotel inventory stood at 448 tourist hotels, comprising approximately 54,000 active rooms, with several facilities remaining closed due to their location in conflict zones or economic unviability. Meanwhile, the month of September alone exhibited a positive seasonal recovery, recording roughly 1.9 million overnight stays compared to 1.8 million in September 2025, while the average room occupancy rose to 55 percent.

Breaking down the data by selected cities and localities, Eilat led the list by a wide margin with an impressive occupancy rate of 78 percent. Haifa followed with 53 percent and the Dead Sea area with 52 percent, whereas Tiberias lagged at the bottom of the table with only 42 percent occupancy. Encouraging signs also emerge from trend analysis and seasonally adjusted data: over the three months from July to September, tourist overnight stays surged significantly to an average of 396,000 per month, up from 179,000 in the preceding three months, marking an average monthly upward trend of 5.3 percent. Concurrently, domestic overnight stays stabilized at an average of roughly 1.4 million per month, indicating a certain adaptation by the local public to vacationing routines alongside ongoing security tensions.