Tourism Development Plan Aims to Turn Judea and Samaria into “Local Tuscany”

Tourism Minister Haim Katz announced today (Sunday) that he will soon submit a plan for government approval aimed at significantly advancing the tourism infrastructure in Judea and Samaria, with an overall investment of close to 86 million shekels.

The initiative is designed to close long-standing infrastructure disparities in the region, which currently contains less than 2% of Israel’s hotel rooms, despite its unique concentration of heritage, natural, and religious sites with national and international tourism potential.

Judea and Samaria is home to biblical and historical sites such as ancient Shiloh, where the Tabernacle resided, the city of Hebron, holding the Cave of the Patriarchs, and Beit-El, where Jacob had his dream of a ladder ascending to Heaven.  It also holds archaeological wonders such as remnants from the Second Temple period, ancient aqueducts, and the ancient Jewish town of Susya, in which a synagogue with Temple motif mosaic remnants and inscriptions, from roughly 2000 to 1400 years ago is preserved.

There is also no shortage of stunning landscapes and trails as well as local attractions such as wineries, farms, artisanal workshops and the Samaritan communities on Mt. Gerizim.  

The Investment Gap

According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, only around 115 million shekels have been invested in infrastructure development in Judea and Samaria over the past decade, compared with more than two billion shekels invested in the rest of the country. As a result, most visits to the area today take the form of day trips, without overnight stays, leaving much of tourism’s economic potential in employment, entrepreneurship, and revenue for local authorities largely unrealized , as well as robbing tourists of the area of a more immersive and comfortable experience.

The Ministry of Tourism notes that the expected return for hotel developers in Judea and Samaria currently stands at only approximately 4%, among the lowest in Israel. Without proactive government intervention, officials say, it is unlikely that a sustainable tourism industry will develop in the region.

The multi-year plan includes:

• 50 million shekels for developing and upgrading public tourism infrastructure, including access roads, signage, parking areas, visitor centers, and digital tourism, with a special emphasis on the Land of the Bible and the Judean Desert.
• 20 million shekels in grants for entrepreneurs to establish hotels, guesthouses, and camping complexes, covering up to 33% of total investment, in light of low returns and high business risk in the area.
• 16 million shekels for administrative management and marketing, including statutory planning and inter-ministerial coordination.

“To Walk Where the Patriarchs Walked”

Minister Katz said: “As I committed upon entering office, we are investing significant resources in our local Tuscany. Judea and Samaria hold profound historical and national significance for the people of Israel and the State of Israel, and they possess as well great value for incoming tourism. We will transform the heritage and nature sites in the land of our forefathers from preserved assets into active tourism anchors, creating economic, regional, and national value.”

For many Christian believers, these hills and valleys are not merely scenic landscapes but the very setting of biblical history. Developing responsible tourism here offers visitors the opportunity to walk where the patriarchs walked, to encounter Scripture in its physical context, and to experience a living connection between the ancient promises of the Bible and the modern rebirth of the Land of Israel.

“Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit.”
(Jeremiah 31:5, ESV)