Israel’s new tourism representative in Canada has arrived in Toronto with a difficult assignment: persuading Canadians that Israel remains worth visiting at a time when war, security concerns and disrupted travel have reshaped tourism to the region.
asserted
war → arrive → region
Taimur Mansour, the Israel Ministry of Tourism’s director for Canada, is betting that Canada remains a promising market — not only because of the Greater Toronto Area’s large Jewish community, but also because of Christian pilgrimage travel, cultural tourism and interest in Israel’s history, archaeology, food and landscape.
asserted
Canada → bet → history
Mansour brings an unconventional biography to the job.
asserted
Mansour → bring → job
A Druze Israeli from Isfiyah, on Mount Carmel near Haifa, he studied social work and Asian studies, spent a year studying Chinese in China, taught Chinese in Israeli high schools, and later qualified as a tour guide.
asserted
he → study → guide
Before coming to Toronto in August, he oversaw the ministry’s media and campaigns department in Jerusalem and coordinated a network of public-relations managers.
asserted
he → come → managers
His background, he says, allows him to present Israel both as the Jewish homeland and as a country of intersecting religious, linguistic and cultural communities.
asserted
him → say → communities
Dave Gordon interviewed Mansour for the National Post:
asserted
Gordon → interview → Post
Many Canadians are concerned about security and flight disruptions.
asserted
Canadians → concern → security
What do you say to someone considering a trip now?
asserted
you → say → trip
People from all over the world are coming.
asserted
People → come → world
Flights are resuming.
asserted
Flights → resume → ?
People still have understandable fears.
asserted
People → have → fears
But I think one of our best ways of working with the community is to show people and talk to them, telling them that Israel is safe.
asserted
Israel → think → them
One is because the Jewish community here is one of the largest in the world, and among the most loving of Israel, positive toward Israel, and has a good relationship with Israel.
asserted
community → have → Israel
I know they want to visit Israel.
asserted
they → know → Israel
They may be worried about the security situation … but I know they want to go.
uncertain
they → worry → situation
For me, it was very clear potential that had not been tapped for years, at least since COVID, to bring people from Canada to Israel.
asserted
that → tap → Israel
What can the ministry actually do to reboot travel?
asserted
ministry → do → travel
The job is to bring more people to Israel — more tourists.
asserted
job → bring → tourists
That takes time and effort.
asserted
That → take → time
It is not about a single number; it is about sustainability in tourism, building it for years, so people come to Israel.
asserted
people → build → Israel
Practically, first of all, it means having partnerships in Canada with the tourism industry: agents, wholesalers, online travel agencies, airlines.
asserted
it → mean → industry
We work together, because this is the infrastructure you work with.
asserted
you → work → ?
We have them meet Israeli private industry and develop joint projects.
asserted
them → have → projects
That is the bread and butter of the work: meeting the industry here and connecting it to the Israeli industry so they can actually send groups.
asserted
they → meet → groups
It does not matter if they are Jewish.
asserted
they → matter → ?
We want to bring everyone, as much as possible, to Israel.
asserted
We → want → Israel
What about your background gives you a different outlook?
asserted
What → give → outlook
I understand what it is to be a non-Jewish Israeli.
asserted
it → understand → ?
I understand how people look at Israel from other places.
asserted
people → understand → places
It allowed me to understand how you can connect to Israel without only being Jewish.
asserted
you → allow → Israel
It is a place where you can connect to spirituality of any kind.
asserted
you → connect → kind
Through 70-something years, it has managed to achieve amazing things in medicine, high tech and other areas.
asserted
it → manage → medicine
Even if you are just a person who wants to support something great or come and see something great, you can come to Israel.
asserted
you → want → Israel
You do not need to be Jewish for that.
asserted
You → need → that
You can come and fall in love with Israel.
asserted
You → come → Israel
For those unfamiliar with the Druze, how would you describe its place in Israeli society?
asserted
you → describe → society
Most people do not know anything about the Druze.
asserted
people → know → Druze
It believes that you need to live in harmony in the place where you live.
asserted
you → believe → place
Usually, this translates into being loyal to, or having a good relationship with, the country where you live.
asserted
you → translate → country
…and 20 more, not listed.
The Aporia
