El Al plane is seen at the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv on Dec. 31, 2022. Photo: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Reuters Connect

Educational travel to Israel is showing signs of recovery after several years of conflict and disrupted tourism, but providers continue to face significant obstacles in attracting participants and covering rising costs.

An industry survey projects that roughly 52,000 people will take part in educational trips to Israel in 2026, a 14 percent increase from the previous year but well below expectations before this year’s war with Iran.

The forecast comes from the Israel Educational Travel Alliance (IETA), which surveyed 32 organizations between Sept. 18 and Oct. 6. By early October, approximately 37,000 participants had already traveled to Israel, with additional trips expected to take place before the end of the year.

Before the war, providers had anticipated nearly 70,000 participants in 2026. The revised projection represents a shortfall of approximately 18,000 travelers, or about 26 percent of that original target.

The gap is particularly pronounced among audiences that educational travel organizations have struggled to reach in recent years. Average participation across programs is running about 20 percent below initial forecasts, according to the survey. Programs aimed at Jews with weaker connections to Jewish communal life are projected to fall 40 percent short of expectations, while non-Jewish and interfaith programs are expected to miss their targets by 50 percent.

Observers point to security concerns, logistical complications, and the political climate in the United States as possible explanations for the uneven recovery.

The difficulties have implications beyond the immediate enrollment figures. Educational trips often serve as an introduction to Israel for people who might not otherwise visit, making participation among less-engaged audiences particularly important to organizations seeking to expand their reach.

Further, the cost of operating the programs has climbed. IETA’s survey found that the median expense per participant is 15 percent above providers’ original budgets for 2026, citing constrained airfare availability and a stronger Israeli shekel against the US dollar as contributing to the increase.

Some organizations have encountered additional complications when Israeli vendors initially quoted prices in dollars before switching to shekel-based pricing. Securing group airfare has also become more difficult, although more airlines are gradually returning to routes serving Israel.

These increases pose a particular challenge for programs that depend on charitable contributions and subsidies to keep trips affordable. Higher costs can force organizations to seek additional funding, limit the number of participants they accept, or reduce spending on staffing and other operational needs. Each option can make it harder to expand access while rebuilding enrollment.

In response, providers are placing greater emphasis on affordability and long-term program sustainability. Survey respondents identified financial assistance for participants as their most pressing need for additional support. Stronger partnerships with local communities and improved ways to evaluate the impact of educational travel were also cited as priorities.

IETA anticipates a stronger year of travel to Israel in 2027, predicting factors including the security situation, the availability of flights, and the revival of traditional recruitment networks.

The survey reflects a broader trend of evidence indicating an uptick of travel back to Israel. Israel welcomed approximately 109,000 tourists in July, up 28% from the 85,000 who visited during the same month in 2025, according to Israel’s Tourism Ministry.

“As the security situation stabilizes, the airlines return. The main barrier right now to the full return of tourists to Israel is the lack of flights,” ministry official Anat Shihor-Aronson told JNS in August.