Tel Aviv, Sep 9 (IANS) The number of tourists visiting Israel in the first eight months of 2022 reached nearly 1.5 million, recording a more than sevenfold increase compared to the same period last year, when 209,000 people came to the country, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.

Israel hit 1 million tourist entries for 2022 on July 10.

Israel reopened its borders to fully vaccinated foreigners in January after shutting them out for most of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In March, it allowed unvaccinated tourists to enter, and in May it ended all Covid testing for arriving passengers.