{"id":19545,"date":"2024-02-27T01:49:37","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T06:49:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/traveling-cook.com\/?p=19545"},"modified":"2024-02-27T11:57:57","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T16:57:57","slug":"israeli-backpackers-around-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traveling-cook.com\/israeli-backpackers-around-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli Backpackers Around the World"},"content":{"rendered":"

Israeli Backpackers Around the world –\u00a0 Asia\u00a0 &\u00a0 South America<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The Israelis, who are used to traveling the world. “The Great Journey” has become a tradition of the soldiers of the Israeli army at the end of their service. During it, the boys receive a good salary, depending on which troops serve, allowing them to accumulate enough money to continue their lives afterward.<\/span><\/p>\n

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As soon as the necessary amount has been accumulated, the boys set out on the long-awaited journey. Statistics say that every year about 50,000 thousand soldiers and female soldiers<\/strong> go to Australia, Peru, Argentina<\/a>, India, they travel in South America<\/a>. They choose very different directions, often traveling for a long period of time, up to six months, sometimes even taking a tent to save on accommodation<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> Israeli backpackers in Patagonia – Credit Facebook<\/a> – Israeli Backpackers Around the world – From Soldiers to Backpackers<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The most popular vacation destinations are Thailand and the Maldives. Among the cities: London<\/a>, Tokyo, Paris<\/a>, Amsterdam<\/a> and, of course, New York<\/a> are the most visited. Cyprus can also be called one of the most popular travel destinations<\/a> – it is there that it is convenient to formalize relations if in Israel this becomes impossible due to the peculiarities of the work of the rabbinical court.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Under Jewish law, people who do not belong to a recognized religion in the country and mixed couples cannot get married in Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Below we transcribe a note on this topic that appeared in Forbes<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> TSA Baby Travel kit ,TSA liquid carry-on rules 2022<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From Soldiers to Backpackers<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Each year, 75,000 soldiers are discharged from the Israel Defense Force<\/strong>. A third of them then travel across Asia and South America, supporting businesses at home and abroad.<\/span><\/p>\n

Original Note in Forbes\u00a0 –\u00a0 by\u00a0 David Yin<\/a>\u00a0 – 2013<\/span><\/p>\n

Out Of Israel, Into The World<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Ten years ago, Dan Nahum, now a 23-year old sophomore at Yale University<\/strong>, found Yossi Ghinsberg\u2019s\u00a0Back from Tuichi<\/i>\u00a0on the family bookshelf. Reading about the author\u2019s remarkable tale of survival as he backpacked through the Bolivian jungle after his tour of duty in the Israel Defense Force, Nahum decided that he, too, would travel to South America one day.<\/span><\/p>\n

In high school, Nahum began working and saving for his dream trip. Shortly after being discharged from the army, Nahum embarked on a six-month expedition from Argentina to Bolivia, which he estimates cost him about $5,000. \u201c[After] three years of being ordered around all the time, you just want a break and rest a little bit before going back to working. It\u2019s kind of an expression of freedom when you backpack,\u201d says Nahum. \u201cYou\u2019re as free as you can ever be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nahum is one of 30,000-40,000 Israelis who backpack overseas every year, according to research by Issta, Israel\u2019s largest travel agency.<\/a> (Issta, which stands for \u2018Israeli Student Travel Association,\u2019 was originally founded as a student exchange organization at the Technion \u2013 Israel Institute of Technology in 1956.) Seventy percent of these backpackers<\/a> are between the ages of 20 and 24, which means they represent one third of the 75,000 Israelis who have completed their mandatory military<\/a> service and are discharged from the Israel Defense Force each year.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> Credit: Forbes – Israeli Backpackers Around the world<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Israeli Backpackers fly to Asia\u00a0 &\u00a0 South and Central America<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

According to Issta Director of Marketing Noam Ron, 60 percent of Israeli backpackers fly to Asia<\/a> (mostly South and Southeast Asia), 30 percent to South and Central America, and the rest to Australia, New Zealand<\/a>, and Africa.<\/a> On average, they travel for six months, while ten percent travel<\/a> for more than a year. Ron estimates that a half-year backpacking trip costs $9,000 in South America, $6,000 in Southeast Asia, $4,000 in South Asia, and $12,000 in Australia or New Zealand\u2014depending, he says, on \u201chow many crazy attractions you do in New Zealand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Post-army Israeli backpackers therefore represent a $150 million annual opportunity for the global tourism industry, the equivalent of Haiti\u2019s total tourism receipts<\/a>. Moreover, they are part of a worldwide trend. According to a 2011 report by the World Tourism Organization<\/a>, youth travelers comprised 20 percent of the 940 million international tourists<\/a> in 2010 and generated $165 billion in tourism revenues. Since they are \u201coften money poor but time rich,\u201d youth travelers tend to take much longer trips and spend almost three times more than the average international tourist.<\/span><\/p>\n

In many popular destinations\u2014such as South and Southeast Asia, and South America for Israeli backpackers\u2014entire industries have sprung up to cater to youth travelers. Understanding the phenomenon of Israeli backpackers sheds light on new business opportunities, as more youth travelers penetrate different corners of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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<\/span> What items are not allowed in checked luggage? – Travel Electronic Organizer<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s so mainstream, so part of what everybody does<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Danny Avraham, now 25, finished his service as an Israel Defense Force officer in December 2010. Two weeks later, he flew to Patagonia, the southernmost tip of South America, where he began a two-month expedition across the continent. With his remaining time before starting college, Avraham spent another ten weeks in India and Nepal.<\/a> Although he only started planning his backpacking logistics during his last few months in the army, Avraham says he had grown up thinking about \u201cthis long backpacking<\/a> trip.”<\/span><\/p>\n

For many Israelis, a backpacking trip after their mandatory military service is as much a rite of passage as the two or three years they spend in the army<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s a very inherent part of Israeli society,” says Avraham. \u201c[It\u2019s] something you automatically do.\u201d Even those who do not backpack usually take shorter trips abroad. \u201cPeople had a rough time in the army,\u201d explains 21-year old Lia Weiner, who traveled in South and Central America for 14 weeks with her best friend after they were both discharged. \u201cThey need to blow some steam off, get over the hard things they had to see.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> Jewish Breaking News – Israeli Backpackers Volunteer in Rio’s Slums in Memory of Brazilian Youth Killed in Israel | Jewish Breaking News<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Lieutenant Libby Weiss, who heads the North American media department<\/strong> in the Israel Defense Force Spokesperson’s unit, thinks many discharged soldiers backpack to \u201csee the world and recharge themselves for the next chapter in their lives.\u201d According to her, soldiers nearing the end of their service generally know where they are traveling to and will ask about each other\u2019s travel plans. \u201cFor many Israelis,” she says, \u201cthis period of travel following military service is the first opportunity for extended travel, the chance to go from\u00a0highly disciplined military routine to the freedom of world travel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Israel it\u2019s hard to separate backpacking from the military,\u201d says Chaim Noy, an associate professor at University of South Florida,<\/a> Tampa and an expert on Israeli backpackers. According to Noy, the backpacking culture in Israel started in the 1970s when many soldiers, traumatized by the 1973 Yom Kippur War, wanted to distance themselves from the country to recover from their psychological wounds. Since \u201cevery generation has its war,\u201d Noy explains, backpacking has blossomed into a tradition that continues to this day.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Backpacking became more popular in recent decades<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Amir Sagron, the Israel Fellow at the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale,<\/strong> believes backpacking became more popular in recent decades as the country\u2019s economy boomed and globalization made international travel easier. Given the similarities between military service and backpacking, such as having to carry a big bag and camp out in the open, Sagron argues that backpacking has become a natural choice for those with free time between the army and college.<\/span><\/p>\n

The backpacking culture stems from the Israelis\u2019 general penchant for overseas travel. According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics<\/strong>, 4.2 million Israelis\u2014out of a total population of 7.9 million\u2014will have travelled abroad by the end of this year, with 90 percent leaving by air.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> Israeli backpackers volunteer in India, Ethiopia, Argentina – Credit:\u00a0 ISRAEL21c.org From Soldiers to Backpackers <\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201c[We] try to interact with rest of the world,\u201d says Shahar Azani, the Consul for Media Affairs at the Consulate General of Israel<\/strong> in New York<\/a>, who worked at the Israeli Embassy<\/strong> in London<\/a> after he completed his military service in 1998. \u201cAt the end of the day, Israel is a small country. You want to acquaint yourself with new experiences.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

University of South Florida\u2019s Associate Professor<\/strong> Noy also cites the tense geopolitical situation in the Middle East, which limits the countries Israelis can visit in the region, as a reason for flying abroad. \u201cAround Israel there is nowhere to travel to. There\u2019s sea to one side and countries with which it\u2019s at war on the other side.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

You earn your own money, you choose how to spend it<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Most Israelis start saving early to pay for their backpacking trips. For non-officers in the army, a monthly allowance of $100 is barely enough for sustenance, much less overseas travel. Upon discharge, however, a soldier receives a bonus of between $1,500 to $3,300, depending on the length of service and whether one was in combat service. This usually covers part of the travel costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is common for Israelis to work for up to a year to scrape together additional funds for backpacking. \u201cNone of my friends will not go because they don\u2019t come from wealthy families,\u201d says Weiner. \u201cYou earn your own money, you choose how to spend it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> TSA Power Banks Rules – Power Banks on Amazon<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Like many around her, Weiner worked as a hostess and bartender\u2014for five months\u2014before traveling. Her best friend and travel companion, Lola Korenhendler, took a loan from her father and now works as a waitress to pay him back. Recognizing the demand for temporary employment, the Israeli Ministry of Defense<\/strong> started a program in January that offers discharged soldiers short-term jobs at gas stations, hotels, and farms. These jobs offer a monthly salary of about $1,100, plus a one-time grant of $2,600 after six months of work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other Israelis work and backpack at the same time. Some volunteer at Jewish summer camps in the U.S., where they are usually provided with free accommodation and airfare, and then take the opportunity to travel across North America. Many Israelis also peddle Dead Sea beauty products such as face creams and soaps to pay for their trips. Abir Hod, a 25-year old student at Ben-Gurion University, sold painting kits to children while traveling in Canada three years ago. \u201cIt was okay money, but an unique experience,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Parents from more well-to-do families often sponsor at least part of their children\u2019s backpacking trips<\/a>, allowing them to travel longer or work less. There are also parents who sponsor their children because they value education and do not want their sons or daughters to work and delay matriculation.<\/span><\/p>\n

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You find so many Israelis there! It\u2019s a mini Tel Aviv<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Hila Segev, now 24, was born in Paraguay<\/strong> but moved to Israel with her Israeli adoptive parents when she was three months old. She had always dreamed of visiting South America\u2014not just because \u201ceveryone in Israel does it,\u201d she says, but because \u201cthere\u2019s a special connection between South American and Israeli cultures.\u201d She remembers watching Spanish-language soap opera and television shows with her friends during their childhood. \u201c[We] grew up knowing and understanding that culture.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSouth America is perfect because it has incredible treks, places to see, and also parties that are really fun,\u201d says Weiner, who backpacked with her best friend, before adding that it is \u201creally cheap.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou find so many Israelis there!\u201d exclaims the Slifka Center\u2019s Sagron, describing Cusco, Peru, where he had stayed for three weeks. \u201cIt\u2019s a mini Tel Aviv.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> Original Photo in Forbes<\/a>\u00a0 –\u00a0 From Soldiers to Backpackers<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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As more Israelis backpack<\/em> around the world, they develop their own lingo. Commonly taken paths, named \u201chummus trails\u201d after the popular Middle Eastern food dip, are lined with sightseeing spots and go-through towns that let them restock their supplies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Depending on the season, Israeli backpackers in South America<\/strong> usually trek northward from Argentina or Chile (\u201crising wave\u201d), or southward from Peru or Brazil (\u201cfalling wave.\u201d) Avraham says that backpackers in the area identify each other by their \u201cwave\u201d and that the probability of meeting other Israelis in the same wave is very high. \u201cYou keep running into the same people, sometimes on complete different sides of the continent.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

They are the unnamed ambassadors of Israel<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Like South America, India became popular with Israeli backpackers due to its rich culture, low costs, and accessibility to tourists. \u201cSouth America is more about trekking and learning Spanish,\u201c explains Darya Maoz, who teaches sociology and tourism at Hadassah Academic College<\/strong> and the Centre for Academic Studies in Israel. \u201cThe image of India in Israel is a place to rest.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Maoz adds that many backpackers learn yoga or meditation in India, while others spend days or even weeks resting at a village. Reut Bornovski, a 25-year old Technion student who spent nine months in South America and recently came back from a two-month trip to India, thinks Israeli backpackers are more assimilated into local communities in India than in South America. She describes her experience in India as more serene and relaxed, and says she met several Israelis who married locals and settled down in India.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> Samsonite Bacpack TSA Aproved – Flight Requirements 2022<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Although more expensive than most other destinations, Australia and New Zealand<\/a> are becoming popular with Israeli backpackers. Anna Darzi, currently a student at Technion, says she visited New Zealand because she was drawn to the sceneries in\u00a0the\u00a0Lord of the Rings.<\/i>\u00a0She also chose Australia and New Zealand because they did not have as many Israelis as South America.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite trying \u201cto save as much as possible,\u201d Darzi\u00a0says her airfare and transportation were expensive, as was her hiking equipment. \u201cWaterproof clothes are important in New Zealand because it rains almost all the time [in certain areas,]\u201d she adds. \u201cWhen you go hiking for a few days, you don\u2019t know what kind of weather you\u2019ll have. You pretty much have to be ready for everything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfrica is not as organized as India for backpackers,<\/strong>\u201d says Issta\u2019s Ron, citing the continent\u2019s underdeveloped backpacking infrastructure as the key reason for its relatively high costs. He adds that there are few hostels in Africa and it is hard to get around without a jeep. (A search on hostelworld.com reveals that Cusco, Lima has 29 hostels, compared to 4 in Nairobi, Kenya, which has 10 times Cusco\u2019s population.) But some Israeli backpackers have already begun going into Africa. Recalling his days as Deputy Ambassador at the Israeli Embassy in Nairobi in the mid-2000s,\u00a0the Consulate General’s\u00a0Azani remembers seeing many Israeli backpackers who volunteered at animal orphanages and humanitarian projects, often with those from other countries. \u201cThey are the unnamed ambassadors of Israel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s part of a lifestyle, of being more native and authentic<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The typical Israeli backpacker is spontaneous, cost-conscious, and likes traveling<\/a> in groups. \u201cWhen you\u2019re a backpacker and travel for such a long time, you don\u2019t plan on a day to day basis,\u201d says Avraham, recounting his trip to South America and South Asia. \u201cYou just go to a destination and figure out from there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike backpackers from other countries, Israelis tend to book their travel arrangements<\/a> on the spot. They often set base at a hostel and spend days to weeks exploring the surrounding areas. During her four-month trip in South America, Segev would announce her latest location on Facebook and often get replies from her friends about meeting up.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> Photo: The Wandering Israeli<\/a>: From Soldiers to Backpackers<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201c[Flight] order in most cases is done ahead, as an open ticket with a year time limit,\u201d writes Anat Friedman, a spokesperson for the Israeli national airline<\/a> El Al,<\/strong> in an email. According to Issta\u2019s Ron, Israeli backpackers tend to change their flights frequently. Recognizing this, airlines such as El Al offer young travelers open tickets that allow them to change their dates or flight locations without extra charge.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most Israeli backpackers travel cheaply, choosing youth hostels over hotels and local transportation over tour buses. Two of their largest expenditures are accommodation and food, with many sleeping in tents or cooking their own meals to minimize costs. However, they are willing to spend more on must-see sights. \u201cTraveling cheap is not just a financial thing,\u201d says University of South Florida\u2019s Noy. \u201cIt\u2019s part of a lifestyle, of being more native and authentic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Israelis are more collective than backpackers from other countries, often traveling in groups of 5 to 20. Maoz, the senior lecturer at Hadassah Academic College and Centre for Academic Studies, believes that as much as they wish to explore new places, Israel backpackers also feel more comfortable when traveling with their compatriots. Many also congregate at Chabad houses, or Jewish community centers, for Shabbat dinner on Friday nights. \u201cBack home we have Shabbat dinner every week,\u201d explains Darzi. \u201cSo that was like home away from home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> Regulations TSA Baggage Rules 2022<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Today, information is based on sharing and crowdsourcing<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Gil Chen, now 35, completed a three-month coast-to-coast road trip in the U.S. upon his discharge from the army. After graduating from Tel Aviv University in political science nine years ago, he volunteered for a year in Tanzania, where he started writing for the travel website Lametayel. He then completed a second degree in diplomacy at the same university, before flying to Cambodia for a year to manage Lametayel-related projects. Today, Chen is the manager of Lametayel Websites Group. \u201cI try to balance traveling and working as well as I can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ask any Israeli about backpacking, and he or she is likely to mention Lametayel, which means \u2018for the traveler\u2019 in Hebrew. It started selling backpacking-oriented travel gear in 1984. Now it has 18 physical stores across the country, with two in Tel Aviv, as well as the largest Hebrew-language travel website<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chen says the company\u2019s success lies in building a community of travelers through offering useful content. When the company first started, it stood out by organizing free lectures given by experienced backpackers. Its stores also carried large binders\u2014divided by continents and countries\u2014where people could share travel tips.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> Photo: The Wandering Israeli:<\/a> From Soldiers to Backpackers<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe provide a 360-degree experience,\u201d Chen describes the company\u2019s stores, which, he says, welcome two million annual visitors and bring in over $28 million in revenues. \u201cYou can come into the store, buy insurance, buy a SIM card, and book flights or hotels through our company website,\u201d he explains. (Although Chen states that both stores and website are profitable, he declines to reveal the company\u2019s profits.)<\/span><\/p>\n

When the Lametayel website was launched in 1999, it quickly became a hub for Israeli backpackers<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s all part of the Internet revolution. A few years ago, you just receive information [from websites,]\u201d Chen says. \u201cToday, information is based on sharing and crowdsourcing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Besides greeting visitors with a search bar that asks \u2018Where\u2019s your next destination?\u2019 in Hebrew, the Lametayel website now features travel tips by backpackers, including recommendations on hotels and restaurants. When Chen and his team receive these tips\u2014which can hit 1,000 per day during summer\u2014they review, edit, and publish 70-80 percent of them. On average, the website gets 60,000 visits per day.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Chen, ever since the website broke even three years ago, revenue has jumped by 35-40 percent per year, to $1.8 million last year. Its revenue comes from advertisements, producing content for partners such as airline companies and foreign embassies, and commissions from hotel or flight reservations. \u201cPeople trust others like themselves,\u201d Chen explains the website\u2019s appeal to Israeli backpackers. \u201cUltimately, [fellow backpackers] have better experiences than travel agents.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> Makeup TSA Liquids Rules – Amazon – What can i take on a plane?<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Lameteyal\u2019s success hinges on Israeli backpackers\u2019 willingness to trust and help each other out. When they travel<\/a>, they rely heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations by other Israelis. \u201cWhen you go to hostels, there are recommendation signs written in Hebrew by Israelis,\u201d explains Segev. \u201cThey sign their names, so if you have questions you can Facebook them.\u201d\u00a0Eli Gudinetsky, a 22-year old physics and computer science student at Ben-Gurion University, will begin his army service after graduation. Although he has not decided where to go on his backpacking trip, Gudinetsky says his \u201cbasic filter will be the experiences of other people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIsraelis bargain a lot. There are different Israeli rates everywhere you go,\u201d continues Segev, before adding that the influx of Israeli backpackers has prompted many businesses to put up signs in Hebrew. \u201cIf you go, you\u2019re probably recommended by your friends.\u201d By giving special discounts to Israeli travelers, business owners hope their customers will encourage their friends to visit their hostels or use their travel services in the future. \u201cA lot of venues realize they get more customers if they get the language right,\u201d says Nahum.<\/span><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know how big this opportunity was when I first came<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Six years ago, Ziv Hadar, then 23, was backpacking in South America<\/a> for eight months when he met his current fianc\u00e9, a Peruvian woman named Nancy Rosales. As they dated and traveled around the world together, they decided they wanted to let more people meet in the same way they did.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2011, Hadar and Rosales rented a big building in the heart of Lima\u2019s tourist-friendly Miraflores district, and opened HosteLima. \u201cI love the city. Israelis love the city. It\u2019s a good place to start,\u201d says Hadar.<\/span><\/p>\n

His 60-bed no-frills hostel, which charges $10 per night, became hugely popular with Israeli backpackers in Lima, who were looking for Israeli owners who spoke both Spanish and Hebrew. Hadar also sells bus and flight tickets at the hostel, which now brings $300,000 in annual revenue. During the peak travel season from March to October, HoteLima is always fully booked, and Hadar knows it \u201cwill be full with Israelis.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> A FFL volunteer drapes her arm around a young Argentinian<\/a> boy Source: Jerusalem Post<\/a> – Israeli Backpackers Around the world<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI see the opportunity we have here,\u201d says Hadar, who believes demand by Israeli backpackers will continue to rise. \u201cI didn\u2019t know how big this opportunity was when I first came.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Another Israeli backpacker, Nir Rabi, now 32, traveled in South America for nine months in 2004. It was then that Rabi realized most of his fellow backpackers were writing their recommendations using pen and paper, and decided to create an online database instead. A year later, Gringo, which means \u2018foreigner\u2019 in Spanish<\/a>, was born.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rabi says the website quickly became popular because it tells Israeli backpackers exactly \u201cwhere to go and what to avoid\u201d in South America, citing its useful information on \u201ctaxi drivers\u2019 dirty tricks, Jewish communities,<\/strong> and kosher shops.\u201d Weiner, who used Gringo during her South American trip, says, \u201c[It] specifies all the places Israelis go. If you want to meet Israelis, you just go there…People call it the bible when backpacking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Rabi, the website gets 100,000 monthly visits during peak season, of which 80 percent are by post-army backpackers. Revenue comes from advertising by tour operators in South America and Israel, such as gear shops, travel agencies, and Spanish language schools. Given its popularity with Israeli backpackers, Rabi hopes to expand the business into a chain of websites that covers travel destinations around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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<\/span> TSA Military Travel 2022 – From Soldiers to Backpackers<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You can see whole communities that have developed on the basis of Israeli tourism<\/b><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

As post-army Israelis explore new destinations, they continue to open new tourist spots and pave the way for other backpackers. According to Issta\u2019s Ron, some of these spots are extensions of existing popular routes. Many backpackers who take the typical South American trail are venturing into Panama, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Ron adds that Asia-bound backpackers are visiting beaches in Sihanoukville, Cambodia or the Andaman Islands<\/em> in India for a \u201cmore authentic, more remote, and isolated experience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When waves of Israeli backpackers enter and explore a new area, they stimulate the local economy. According to Nguyen Hong Dai, chief executive and owner of Hanoi-based travel agency APT Group, Israeli backpackers started entering Vietnam in the early 2000s. When Nguyen noticed that they travel in relatively large groups and usually recommend places to other Israelis, he started tailoring his tours to them. \u201cWe have opened an Israeli restaurant in Hanoi and a hotel in Sapa [in northwest Vietnam] that is populated mostly with Israeli hikers,\u201d he writes through email. In 2005, Nguyen recruited Dima Tsirkin, an Israeli travel agent who now runs the company\u2019s main agency in Hanoi and is tasked with bringing in more Israeli travelers.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/span> TSA Carryon Liquids 2022 on Amazon Best Sellers<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Given the travel habits of Israeli backpackers, Ron argues that they mostly benefit small, family-run businesses in underdeveloped countries. \u201cYou can see whole communities that have developed on the basis of Israeli tourism,\u201d he says, citing the widespread use of Hebrew in menus and billboards at destinations popular with Israeli backpackers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou learn to hit the ground and start running wherever you go\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Nahum, the sophomore at Yale, hasn\u2019t stopped since his South American expedition. He backpacked in China last summer and plans to visit Cuba during his college winter break, explaining that he wants to \u201csee it before it opens up to the West.\u201d Like many of his fellow Israeli backpackers, Nahum wants to keep exploring the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives you perspective on life and people. Nothing is permanent; you never see the same face twice, you never see the same place twice,\u201d says Nahum. \u201cYou learn to hit the ground and start running wherever you go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Original Note in Forbes\u00a0<\/a> –\u00a0 by\u00a0 David Yin<\/a>\u00a0 – 2013<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Israeli Backpackers Around the world –\u00a0 Asia\u00a0 &\u00a0 South America The Israelis, who are used to traveling the world. “The Great Journey” has become a tradition of the soldiers of the Israeli army at the end of their service. During it, the boys receive a good salary, depending on which troops serve, allowing them to accumulate enough money to continue their lives afterward.   As soon as the necessary amount has been accumulated, the boys set out on the long-awaited … <\/p>\n

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