Israel woos China again after curbs lifted

"This is my opportunity to invite all of you, every Chinese tourist, please come visit Israel, visit the innovation center. It will be an amazing experience, I assure you," said Tamar Nitzan, innovation community leader of the Peres Center, as she guided the vloggers during their visit to the center.

Israel has seen a resurgence in inbound tourism since the start of this year, following the lifting of its COVID-19-related restrictions on foreign tourists.

It welcomed 1.76 million foreign visitors in the first five months of 2023, a significant bounce back from 791,300 during the same period last year, according to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics.

"This is my second visit to Israel after 13 years, but I was still deeply impressed by the vitality of the ancient civilization," said Wang Xiao, an influencer with more than 3 million followers on Weibo, a Twitter-like social media platform in China.

During the trip, the Chinese online influencers visited major tourist spots across Israel, from the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve near the Dead Sea to the modern city of Tel Aviv.

"I strongly recommend visiting museums in Israel," Wang advised potential Chinese visitors to Israel. "Israel boasts a wealth of historical resources, while the latest technologies displayed in the museums also provide an unprecedented experience," she said.

Li Zimu, the China-based media manager of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, said the ministry is cooperating with major Chinese travel agencies and user-generated content sites to promote Israeli tourism in China, and "more influencers will be invited to discover the beauty of Israel".

There has been a gradual resurgence in the number of "fully independent travelers" since travel restrictions were eased in China earlier this year, Li said.

Currently, 14 flights operate every week between Tel Aviv and Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, which can meet the demand of Chinese tourists visiting Israel, she said.

Xinhua