Not a vacation, a staycation. A new tourism trend has gained popularity in Israel because of the war

Despite the war, Israelis are not canceling the summer vacation season. Instead, tourists have come up with a new trend called "staycation, " a combination of "stay" and "vacation."

The term characterizes a vacation "close to home": due to flight cancelations and problematic travel abroad, Israeli citizens choose domestic resorts, Mako writes. Tourists prefer to stay in hotels close to home, especially in the central part of the country. Israelis come on vacation by taxi and take a minimum number of things.

"Staycation has become the salvation of the state's hotel business, as the demand of foreigners for vacation in Israel has significantly decreased. In the first half of 2024, experts recorded an 81% decrease in the number of tourists compared to 2023. The most significant changes affected Jerusalem, Naceretz and Tel Aviv.

"The prolonged war, constant anxiety and threats against Israel, which have become part of our lives here, have created a trend in the industry called 'staycation,'" says Assaf Ben-Dov, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Africa Israel Hotels, manager and owner of the Vert, Crown Plaza, Poly, Indigo, Bay View hotel brands, and more.

"We see a 20-25% increase in requests for vacation near the house, and this trend is gaining momentum as the situation in the country remains as it is," the expert added. A similar trend was observed in 2014: at that time, the anti-terrorist operation in Gaza called "The Rock of No Return" was underway.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote about how a Russian woman went to a resort in her native Russia and called the vacation "one of the worst in her life": the USSR, irresponsibility, and space prices everywhere.

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