Israel’s major tourism fair of the year got underway on Tuesday in Tel Aviv amid initial signs of a tourism rebound following the two-year war against Hamas in Gaza still blunted by ongoing regional tensions with Iran.

“The last couple of years were difficult ones, with a dramatic drop in tourists during the war, but there are signs of optimism as the buds of recovery are beginning to be seen,” Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz said at International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) 2026, held at the Tel Aviv fairgrounds.

Israel, he said, was planning to launch a new tourism campaign in the United States, the top country for incoming visitors, dubbed “I am Israel,” directed at both the Jewish and evangelical Christian community.