Christians flock to Jerusalem for Feast of Tabernacles as tour operators hope for rebound

As thousands of Christians from around the world prepare to gather in Israel for the Feast of Tabernacles, Christian organizations and tour operators are reporting continued interest in bringing visitors to the country despite the challenges facing Israel’s tourism industry.

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) expects about 3,000 local and international participants from more than 70 nations for its annual Feast event, which runs Sept. 25-30 in Jerusalem.

David Parsons, ICEJ senior vice president and spokesman, told ALL ISRAEL NEWS that the organization expects between 2,000 and 2,500 participants this year, compared with about 2,200 last year. He said the high cost of flights to Israel has affected attendance, but that the local response has been “tremendous.”

“We’ve been well received in Israel. In 2024 and 2025, we had the largest solidarity groups represented in Israel during the Feast,” Parsons said. “We sense a bigger embrace and a lot more encouragement from the local Israelis here this year and that's exciting.”

The Feast will include worship services, seminars, the Roll Call of the Nations and the annual Jerusalem March. ICEJ is also arranging tours to Judea and Samaria, including Psagot and Gush Etzion, where participants will meet local residents and visit businesses and tourist sites.

The event is also extending Christian tourism beyond the six-day Feast. ICEJ is offering an optional Galilee tour from Oct. 1-4, taking participants to sites including Magdala, the Mount of Beatitudes, Cana, Capernaum, Megiddo and Akko.

Christians For Israel - Germany (CFI Germany) is seeing similar interest among younger travelers.

Dina Ehrhardt, head of CFI’s Young Generation department, brought 49 young adults from Germany to Israel in August as part of a program for Christians ages 18 to 25.

The program was created after CFI saw a need for a Christian equivalent to Taglit-Birthright Israel. CFI subsidized the August trip through generous donations and it cost about 1,000 Euro per participant; Ehrhardt said all the young people indicated they wanted to return to Israel after their first visit.

The program focuses heavily on personal encounters with Israelis, including Holocaust survivors and people connected to CFI’s network. Since Oct. 7, 2023, the itinerary has also included sites connected to the war.

“The stories of the people in Israel are what connects the younger generation's hearts to Israel,” Ehrhardt said.

One participant wrote in a feedback form, “I can’t understand how I was able to see and experience all these things for only 1,000 Euros.” Another participant wanted to take the trip with her grandfather but he died early and this was a way to keep her promise to go to Israel.

For Israeli tour operators, however, the industry's recovery remains challenging and uncertain.

Israel recorded about 115,900 tourist arrivals in August, down slightly from 118,200 in August 2025. Through the first eight months of 2026, tourist arrivals totaled about 668,200, compared with 827,500 during the same period last year, according to Central Bureau of Statistics data.

David Katz of Sar-El Tours said the company had “started this year optimistically” but then experienced “great disappointment” when tourists had to cancel or were unable to reach Israel due to the war with Iran.

He said hundreds of tourists were affected, including more than 600 stranded in the Galilee. Katz described moving them south as "very challenging" amid missile and rocket fire from Iran and Hezbollah. He said getting the tourists to Jerusalem made it much easier to evacuate them through Egypt because more transportation options were available there.

Still, Katz said, “We have the potential for a really great season this year.”

He said many tours are scheduled from around the world and that the company would like to welcome those visitors to Israel. Looking further ahead, Katz said the outlook remains positive, noting that “people want to come back.”

The gradual return of international visitors is particularly visible among American travelers. Israel’s Tourism Ministry reported that more than 32,000 U.S. tourists arrived in June and more than 36,000 in July, with Americans accounting for roughly one-third of international visitors in July.

For ICEJ, CFI and Israeli tour operators, the Feast of Tabernacles is therefore more than a single event. It is an opportunity to see whether renewed interest among Christian travelers can translate into sustained tourism through the remainder of 2026 and into 2027.

As Katz put it, “We trust the Lord moving forward.”