When I fly back to Israel after visiting family and friends in the United States, it’s always a pleasure to talk to people seated near me who are visiting Israel for the first time. There’s a sense of wonder and expectation that I think few other countries can match.

Whether you’re Jewish or not, religious or secular, into the arts or food, into shopping or history and archaeology, whether your dream vacation is based at a luxury hotel or a youth hostel, near a beach or in the middle of a city, Israel really has it all. In Tel Aviv and Haifa, you can even be on the beach and in the city.

I’ve been living in Israel for more than 25 years, but I still vividly remember portions of my first trip here when I was in high school. There’s something magical about a first glimpse of the Western Wall in Jerusalem, with the gold dome of the Dome of the Rock above it and the sight of Jews from all over the world coming together in a place that my great-grandparents in Russia couldn’t have expected to visit any more than they would have gone to the moon.

I also never cease to be moved by the sight of Christian pilgrims at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher – the site, according to Christian tradition, of Jesus’ crucifixion. I’m moved seeing how moved they are. I also feel the same about the Yardenit baptismal site in the north, which has facilities where pilgrims can be baptized in the Jordan River.

Of course, since the outbreak of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, foreign tourism to Israel has dried up as rockets rained on much of the country. Things are more peaceful now, but rocket fire from Houthi rebels in Yemen may still be discouraging foreign airlines that stopped flying to Israel earlier in the war from returning, and few foreign tourists are coming.

One of my good friends in Israel, Marc Coles, is from Cleveland and went to law school with me at Case Western Reserve University. After graduation, he moved to Israel and practiced law here for more than 20 years. But he always reveled in the pleasures of touring Israel and developed a second career after being licensed as a tour guide. “After COVID, we had to rebuild our client base,” he told me. “Tourism really rebounded.”

When it gradually does again, visiting Israel will be a great way to support the country. Marc worked with major groups that were scheduled to visit from Cleveland in October 2023 – trips that were canceled when the war broke out. I had tickets at the time for the Israeli concert tour of the Cleveland Orchestra – which understandably didn’t happen. Marc said he’s now seeing some renewed interest by people who had planned to visit and canceled due to the war.

Whenever tourism rebounds, the wealth of attractions that I love so much will be here for them. And Marc mentioned several new ones, including Jerusalem’s Tower of David Museum – which is now a high-tech presentation on the history of the city – and the new architecturally spectacular national library in Jerusalem, which offers building tours. He also recommended the ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, which is a total makeover of the Museum of the Jewish Diaspora.

I would add that the Tel Aviv restaurant scene remains amazing and there are other great restaurants all over the country – including in the north, which is beautiful, especially in the spring, and my favorite part of Israel.

As the situation improves, I hope you consider making 2025 a year when you visit Israel.

Cliff Savren is a former Clevelander who covers the Middle East from Ra’anana, Israel. He is an editor at the English edition of Haaretz.