In recent years, a new category has emerged in Israeli leisure travel—“sports vacations,” which include a short flight abroad, attending one of the world’s biggest sporting events, and returning home with an unforgettable experience. Whether it’s English Premier League matches, the opening of the NBA season in the U.S., or international tournaments like the World Cup, more and more families and sports enthusiasts are choosing to make international sports events the centerpiece of their vacations.
One area where this trend is particularly notable is basketball, especially with the successful integration of Israeli players into the prestigious NBA league.
More Than Just a Game
Asi Ohana, CEO of NBATrips, which markets NBA travel packages to the United States, says, “The NBA is much more than sports; it’s a global culture. This year, with three Israelis representing us on the world’s best court, it’s an especially unique experience.”
According to him, “In recent years, more and more people are no longer satisfied with standard vacations—they are looking for an experience, unique content for their trips, something special and extraordinary. In this context, an NBA trip, which includes not just games but also various activities on and off the court, meets that demand.”
NBATrips, founded by four partners including the prominent NBA commentator for Sport Channel, Ido Gur, offers packages that include, in addition to flights and hotels, tickets to games in great seats, and even an actual game on an NBA court, free-throw shooting, standing for the national anthem with the players, meetings with NBA players, and behind-the-scenes visits to locker rooms.
A Significant Increase
It is estimated that this year will see a rise of tens of percent in the number of travelers attending games, due to the impressive Israeli presence in the teams. The increase is also driven by the strengthening of the U.S. as a destination, partly thanks to the World Cup taking place there this year.
Ohana adds, “Our customers come from all walks of life—families, fathers and sons celebrating bar mitzvahs, grandparents and grandchildren, groups of friends before or after military service, and also sports fans aged 40–60. Israel is one of the countries with the most dedicated NBA fans, and now, with Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf joining Deni Avdija, interest in the league is only growing.”
A Similar Trend in Soccer
Roy Ezra, CEO of Arena Tickets, says, “Since Sukkot, we’ve seen a surge of Israelis traveling abroad for sports vacations, which continues until December with major matches in various European leagues and Christmas.”
The company reports a 30% increase in bookings for packages that include both flights and hotels, thanks to the return of more and more airlines. “We encounter groups of men traveling together for soccer matches, but also families taking advantage of Hanukkah vacations for a short trip abroad, often as a unique bar or bat mitzvah experience,” Ezra explains.
Arena Tickets, founded in 2018 by the “Columbus Tourism” group, specializes in selling tickets to the world’s biggest sports events and performances, allowing Israelis to combine a short vacation with rare sports experiences.