Israeli Travel Spending Surges in August with Japan Ranking as Top Destination
Data from Israel's LAYA digital wallet reveals record travel spending in August 2023, with Japan leading per-traveler costs at 4,069 shekels amid high transaction frequencies.
August marked a significant surge in outbound tourism from Israel, with approximately 1.4 million citizens traveling abroad, surpassing figures from the same period in 2023. Data from the digital multi-currency wallet LAYA provides unique insights into spending habits, destination preferences, and consumer behavior during the peak summer month.
Japan Tops the Spending List
According to LAYA data, which reflects a segment of over 100,000 active digital wallet users, Japan emerged as the most expensive destination per traveler, with an average expenditure of 4,069 shekels. Japan also led in transaction volume, averaging 43 transactions per traveler, indicating longer stays and frequent purchases throughout the trip.
Following Japan, US travelers spent an average of 3,150 shekels with 28.3 transactions. European destinations also featured prominently in the spending reports:
-
Austria: 2,862 shekels across 17.3 transactions
-
Czech Republic: 2,781 shekels across 22.2 transactions
-
Hungary: 2,711 shekels across 22.4 transactions
When examining individual transaction sizes, the United Arab Emirates led with an average of 184 shekels per transaction, followed by Austria (166 shekels) and Cyprus (163 shekels). Online transactions were excluded from these calculations.
Consumer Habits and Retail Breakdown
August outpaced July across all key metrics: passenger volume increased by about 16%, average spending per traveler rose by 8% to 2,759 shekels, and the average transaction size grew by 5% to 120 shekels. While July's growth was driven by a higher volume of travelers, August saw individuals spending more per person, pointing to longer and costlier vacations.
"The data from Japan illustrates a shift in Israeli tourist behavior: it is the most expensive destination per traveler at 4,069 shekels, yet it features a particularly low average transaction amount of just tens of shekels," said Yotam Reif Deshe, co-founder and CEO of LAYA.
While the average transaction stood at 120 shekels, the median transaction was merely 42 shekels. This disparity highlights a pattern of frequent, small-scale purchases such as coffee, public transit, and fast food, balanced out by larger retail acquisitions.
Retail and shopping accounted for 32% of total expenditures abroad in August, followed by dining and restaurants at 26%, and hotels and hospitality at 18.7%. Notably, about 15% of travelers to Thailand utilized local kosher food services like The Kosher Place, reflecting the ongoing importance of dietary observance among Israeli tourists.
