Surprising? This is the country most Israelis traveled to in January, the USA drops and France surges

According to passenger traffic data at Ben Gurion Airport, in January 2025, the most popular destination among Israelis was the United Arab Emirates, significantly ahead of other destinations.

Winter changes the map of destinations Israelis travel to: among the destinations gaining popularity in winter are Greece, which maintains its high status, the USA, Italy, and France, with significant increases. Nevertheless, the USA is the only one recording a decrease, which is likely explained by the fact that there are still no direct flights to Israel.

There is no doubt that the market continues to change, and as more airlines return to fly to and from Israel, we will witness a change in the map of destinations.

1. United Arab Emirates first with 12.68% of passenger traffic at Ben Gurion with 143,895 passengers compared to 40,438 passengers last January.

Dubai. Photo: Shutterstock

2. Greece is second with 102,074 passengers, representing 8.99% of passengers in January at Ben Gurion, compared to 33,527 passengers in the same period in 2024.

Peloponnese Peninsula, Greece. Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK

3. USA third with 98,408 passengers, representing 8.67% of travelers compared to 103,940 passengers in January 2024, a decrease of 5.32%.  

Los Angeles, Hollywood. Photo: Shutterstock

4. Italy fourth with 76,631 passengers, representing 6.75% of travelers compared to 24,363 passengers in January 2024.

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Photo: Shutterstock

5. France closes out the top five with 66,999 passengers, representing 5.90% of travelers compared to 37,938 passengers last January, an increase of 76.60%.

Paris, France. Photo: shutterstock

6. Georgia in sixth place with 65,458 passengers, representing 5.76% of travelers compared to 31,251 passengers last January, a jump of 109.45%.

Tbilisi. Photo Shutterstock

7. England in seventh place with 57,430 passengers, representing 5.06% of travelers compared to 35,241 passengers in January 2024, an increase of 62.96%.

Photo: Amit Kotler

8. Cyprus in eighth place with 53,450 passengers, representing 4.71% of travelers compared to 27,678 passengers in January 2024, an increase of 93.11%.

Protaras, Cyprus. Photo: PassportNews

9. Spain in ninth place with 47,374 passengers, representing 4.17% of travelers compared to 20,088 passengers last January, a jump of about 136%.

Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK

10. Hungary closes out the top ten with 45,826 passengers, representing about 4% of travelers compared to 17,982 passengers in January 2024, an increase of 154.84%.

Budapest, Hungary. Photo: shutterstock