Four Little Words I’d Love to Hear This Year

Maybe this is the year we finally start again.

Rosh Hashanah always feels like a new beginning.

A chance to look back at the year that was, and perhaps more importantly, to think about the year we hope is coming.

And after the year Israel, and all of us who care about Israel, have had, there is certainly plenty to think about.

For those of us working in tourism, the past year has been complicated. Plans have been made, postponed, cancelled and made again. Families have wondered whether they should come. Flights have changed. Things that once seemed straightforward suddenly weren't.

And yet, despite all of that, people have continued to come.

They've come to celebrate family simchas. To visit children and grandchildren. To walk through the streets of Jerusalem. To see places they've never seen before. To stand in the places that matter to them.

And perhaps that's what I'm hoping for in this new year.

A year when Israel can get back to welcoming people simply because they want to be here.

A year when planning a family trip doesn't have to begin with “What if?”

A year of peace. Of prosperity. Of families making plans, and actually getting to enjoy them.

And maybe, after everything we've been through, that's not too much to hope for.

And hopefully, somewhere along the way, I'll hear these words from lots of families:

“We've booked our flights.”

Because those four words would mean so much more than a vacation.

They would mean families are making plans again. They're looking forward. They're coming to Israel.

And that's what I'm wishing for all of us in the year ahead.

Shanah Tovah - and may this be the year when “We've booked our flights” becomes something I hear a lot more often.

More Thoughts on Meaningful Travel in Israel

• Warning: You are About to Enter a Dangerous Country

• How far in Advance Should You Book Your Israel Vacation?

• Should You Pay More to Make Sure You Actually Get to Israel?

• Coming to Israel for the Chagim? Don’t Leave Chol Hamoed to Chance

• How One Mom's Israel Foodie Dream Turned into Burgers, Pizza... and a Happy Family

• "We Only Eat Badatz!" Or Do We?

• The Best Israel Memories Don't Always Come with the Biggest Price Tag

• Coming to Israel? Here's What you Can't Plan For

• They Arrived in Israel . . . And Had Nowhere to Stay

• Visiting Israel? It's the Little Things That Can Catch You Out

• Frum & Coming to Israel? What I Wish I Had Known in Advance

• Is Now the Right Time to Come to Israel?

• A Missile Alert; A Change of Plans and a Beach Day

• When a Booking Is More Than Just a Booking

• ChatGPT? Why Your Dream Tour Needs a Human Touch

• The Biggest Mistake Families Make Planning an Israel Itinerary

• Choosing The Right Hotel

• The Day a Tour Guide Proved Me Right

• We Don't Need a Guide; We'll Manage Alone

• Why You Should Book Your Israel Hotels Through an Experienced Agent

• Hotel or Apartment? The Israel Vacation Dilemma Many Families Face