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It has been a tough 15 months for tourism in the North, as international visitor numbers remain just a fraction of what they were before October 7.
By NICHOLAS POTTER JANUARY 19, 2025 04:21
THE SIWAR Boutique Suites is nestled in the beauty of Acre.
(photo credit: Nicholas potter)
‘It’s been a very difficult time,” Siwar Hamati says, sitting on the roof of her boutique guesthouse in the ancient port city of Acre. Across the bay, the lights of Haifa sparkle in the distance.
But since October 7, it feels like there are now more fishermen than tourists in this sleepy town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. “I did feel frustrated,” Hamati continues, “but I never lost hope.”
It has been a tough 15 months for tourism in the North, as international visitor numbers remain just a fraction of what they were before October 7 and, until the November ceasefire with Hezbollah, even domestic holidaymakers were kept away by constant rocket fire.
According to the Tourism Ministry, just under one million international visitors came to the Jewish state in 2024, an almost 70% decrease from 2023. And of them, even fewer to the North. The Jerusalem Post went on a road trip from the shores of Acre to the Golan Heights and met resilient individuals eager to look forward.
For hotels such as Siwar Boutique Suites, the past 15 months have been challenging, manager Hamati, 33, explains. The venture was a dream come true for the Arab Christian family.
Her father grew up in Acre, became a fisherman, bought books with the money he earned, and eventually saved enough to move away and study medicine. He returned to Acre as a doctor and longed for a place his family could call their own in the small city.
The family worked for six years restoring and renovating a charming old house overlooking the bay and a picturesque white and red church, with exposed stone and patterned tiles blending seamlessly with modern, minimalist elements to create a design that mixes past and present.
The small hotel with just three rooms opened in 2022, with the COVID pandemic not yet quite over. “It was financially tough,” Hamati says about the first few months.
Just a year later, the Hamas massacre occurred, leading to 15 months of war that dissuaded would-be tourists.
“Acre was so empty,” Hamati says of the months following the attack. “And I just didn’t know what to do when it’s so empty.” From September 2024, as fighting between Hezbollah and Israel intensified in the North, there were daily rocket alarms in Acre. “It became much more aggressive,” she says. “I didn’t leave the house much.”
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Acre is a city bursting with culture and history, from ancient walls to an authentic Turkish bath. The smell of shisha wafts through the city’s excellent fish restaurants. And its narrow cobbled streets with turquoise doors and pencil-like minarets make for an enchanting getaway that feels worlds away from the skyscrapers of the big city.
Siwar’s guesthouse is located right in the thick of it. And Hamati is a hospitable host, a hands-on manager eager to please her guests – at the moment, mostly a mix of Israeli Arabs and Jews.
The Post stayed in a sea-view room on the roof, which, coming from the hustle and bustle of the Israeli capital, is a peaceful respite well-suited to a weekend of rest and relaxation. Just be prepared for the local muezzin’s early morning wake-up call to prayer.
THE DRIVE eastward from Acre sees coastal plains transform into mountain ranges. An underrated stop-off is Karmiel in the Beit HaKerem Valley, with a population of 47,000. The town was built in 1964, originally conceived as part of a government development project. Don’t miss the memorial at the town’s entrance entitled “From the Holocaust to Resurrection,” a tranquil park with metal sculptures.
The Gibor Brewery
The family-run Gibor Brewery makes for a great road trip pit-stop. Gibor – “hero” in Hebrew – is also the name of the family’s camper van, which doubles as its logo.
“The van has been through a lot, but it’s still going,” explains Shani Grunwald, 22, who has toured the length and breadth of Israel in it on family holidays. Her dad, Eran, started brewing beer at home in 2012 before taking over the current premises in 2017, tucked away on an industrial estate with a fantastic panoramic hillside view to compensate.
Today, it’s a professional operation with a sizeable and tasty output, from stouts to lagers to pale ales. The Post recommends the IPA, a fruity and full-bodied beer, which, at 7.3% ABV, packs quite a punch. “It’s the best IPA in Israel,” Shani says proudly, and the Post is inclined to agree.
But in Israel, even beer is political. The brewery, which also delivers internationally, has also produced a lemon-grass lager dubbed “The Heroines” – a tribute to female IDF soldiers.
“Because sometimes their voices aren’t heard,” Shani says, “but they did so much in this war.” Shani herself has just finished her military service as a shooting instructor.
Another beer, Flora, is dedicated to Noa and Gidi Chiel – two family friends who were murdered at the Nova festival on October 7. During a tour of the brewery, Shani shows bottle stickers for limited edition beers commissioned by friends and family of fallen soldiers.
And when Hezbollah rocket fire forced the evacuation of Kibbutz Menara on the Lebanese border and, with it, the craft brewery Beerlich, Gibor offered a roof for the brewers in exile to continue production.
To soak up its hoppy offerings, Gibor offers a hearty menu that spans kosher sausage platters to fusion pizzas.
“It’s the opposite of Italian,” chef Avichai says almost defiantly, “It’s Israeli pizza.” The sourdough bases are made with Israeli wheat, and the majority of ingredients on the seasonal menu come from the area. “We like it local,” he adds.
There are kosher, vegetarian, and vegan options. Particular highlights are the limited edition Turkish doner pizza drizzled with tahini and the kalamata olive, labneh, and za’atar edition – two Middle Eastern twists on an Italian classic.
The road trip ends with the scenic route through the Golan Heights, stopping off at the various memorials from the Six Day War and Yom Kippur War. Fields are peppered with the occasional tank in this open-air military museum, while the backdrop of a snowy Mount Hermon looms in the distance – and with it, Syria, where a fallen Assad regime has reshaped the Middle East.
It’s a reminder that things can change very quickly in this part of the world. In northern Israel, Siwar Hamati and Shani Grunwald remain cautiously optimistic about the future as the region recovers from a turbulent 15 months.
The writer was a guest of Siwar Boutique Suites and of Gibor Brewery.
English (US) ·