Israel Ministry of Tourism Launches U.S. Campaign "I AM ISRAEL"

The Israel Ministry of Tourism has launched a new U.S. campaign, "I AM ISRAEL," at a conference in New York by Director General Michael Itzhakov. The event was attended by influencers from across the United States and leaders of Jewish and Christian communities.
In line with the policy of Minister of Tourism Haim Katz, the Ministry has, for the first time, developed sub-campaigns tailored to distinct U.S. audiences: the general pro-Israel public, Jewish audiences, and Christian communities.

The $7 million initiative includes paid video promotion, media partnerships, social media influencer collaborations, and public relations activations. It is an awareness campaign-not a direct sales effort-designed to reconnect key U.S. audiences with Israel through people, experiences, and authentic storytelling.
The campaign aims to accelerate tourism recovery and lay the foundation for renewed growth in the coming years, while reinforcing Israel's image as a diverse, vibrant, safe, and inspiring destination.
It features three flagship films tailored to target audiences, along with more than 30 short-form social media videos.
The campaign highlights everyday life in Israel-its people, culture, cuisine, and music-and targets audiences with strong affinity to Israel.

Distribution spans major North American platforms including Hulu, Disney+, YouTube, Meta, iHeartRadio, and leading content and lifestyle websites.

Minister of Tourism Haim Katz said:
"To succeed in the day after, we are launching a campaign in the United States-the primary market for inbound tourism to Israel, which in normal times accounted for approximately 25% of all visitors. We conducted in-depth research and refined the messaging into a personalized, action-driven approach instead of a single uniform campaign. At the same time, we continue to strengthen the local industry through targeted grants and are working to increase flight volume and hotel room supply-key factors for recovery that will drive tourism growth and strengthen Israel's economy."

Director General Michael Itzhakov said:
"Especially at a time when Israel is often portrayed globally through news events, it is important to launch a campaign that presents a different reality-one of life, people, culture, and connection. This visit to the United States and the campaign launch here are part of a broader effort to strengthen ties with audiences who feel close to Israel and are interested in visiting. The campaign creates a personal and emotional connection, which is a powerful driver in bringing tourism back to Israel. The tourism industry is a major engine of economic growth, and every visitor to Israel becomes an ambassador for us around the world."

Yoram Elgrabli, Tourism Commissioner for North America, Israel Ministry of Tourism, said:
"This campaign is about building connection in a meaningful, lasting way in the United States, our most important tourism market. By focusing on authentic stories and shared values, we're meeting American audiences where they are and reminding them what makes Israel such a unique and compelling destination to visit. We hope to welcome all of our American friends soon!"

Israel Ministry of Tourism US Southern Region
1360 Peachtree St
Atlanta GA 30309

The United States is Israel's largest source market for tourism. In 2025, approximately 400,000 American tourists visited Israel, accounting for about one-third of all incoming tourists that year. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, nearly one million Americans visited Israel, and in 2023 a record was set with more than one million entries.
The campaign launch took place during a working visit by a Ministry of Tourism delegation led by the Director General and his team, who are holding a series of meetings across the United States with senior tourism industry leaders, travel agents, investors, media organizations, and influencers.
The Ministry views tourism as a strategic industry with economic, employment, and reputational importance for the State of Israel. Under the leadership of Minister Haim Katz, it will continue to strengthen inbound tourism alongside the development of domestic tourism.

This release was published on openPR.