Israel’s tourism industry is turning to artificial intelligence and startup innovation as part of a government-backed effort to modernize the sector and improve the visitor experience.
The Ministry of Tourism on Thursday launched the Travel Innovation IL community, a 1 million shekel ($330,000) initiative designed to connect tourism companies, technology firms, startups, investors, government bodies and academia to promote technological solutions for the industry.
The initiative was unveiled at a Tel Aviv event attended by hundreds of executives, entrepreneurs, investors and government representatives. It will focus on identifying challenges facing the tourism sector, connecting them with Israeli technology companies, and encouraging the development and adoption of new solutions.
“The world of tourism has undergone an unprecedented transformation in recent years, and artificial intelligence is changing the way people search for information, plan trips and consume experiences,” Tourism Ministry Director General Michael Izhakov said.
“Israel is an innovation powerhouse,” he added, saying the new platform would help connect the needs of the tourism industry with Israeli startups.
Adam Arbel, the ministry’s senior deputy director general for planning, policy and strategy, said, “The State of Israel can become a global travel tech powerhouse,” describing the sector as a potential growth engine for both tourism and the wider economy.
