Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz was a guest of honor at the opening ceremony of the OTM (Outbound Travel Mart) 2025 fair on Thursday in Mumbai, India.
Over the past week, Katz has been visiting India to promote tourism to Israel. He met with his Indian counterpart, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and invited him to the IMTM (International Mediterranean Tourism Market) fair scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv in May.
Katz also met with Air India CEO Campbell Wilson and leading travel agents and tour operators, as well as spoke with local journalists.
During the visit, it was agreed that India and Israel would work together to facilitate the arrival of Indian workers for Israel’s tourism industry. Air India announced plans to launch a direct route between Mumbai and Ben-Gurion International Airport by 2026, in addition to flights from New Delhi, which will begin operating this March.
“India has tremendous tourism potential, and we are working to realize it. Our strategic goal for 2030 is to reach seven million tourists, and India is a key market in achieving this goal,” said Katz.
“The Indian traveler seeks unique experiences, and Israel offers a diverse and rich tourism portfolio. At the invitation of the Israel Ministry of Tourism, a delegation of Indian travel agents and journalists will visit Israel in the coming months to develop vacation packages and increase exposure,” he added.
Before the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, 55,000 Indian tourists had visited Israel that year. Peak travel occurred in 2019 with 80,000 visitors from India.
The OTM fair, considered the most significant tourism event in central India, features around 1,100 organizations from 55 countries. More than 40,000 participants from India and beyond are expected to attend over three days, including local media, travel agents, tour operators, travel associations, hotel chains, airlines and event organizers for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism.
The Israeli pavilion, spanning approximately 40 square meters, is designed to showcase Israel as an attractive tourist destination.