Israel Ministry of Tourism Names New Director of Tourism, Midwest U.S. Region
by Dori Saltzman
Photo:
The Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) has appointed Ilan Marciano as director of tourism for the Midwest U.S. region.
Based in Chicago, Marciano will represent IMOT and lead the Ministry’s travel marketing efforts across Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. He will work with travel suppliers, tour operators, faith and community leaders, airlines, and media to increase travel to Israel from the region.
In the market, Marciano will work closely with tour operators and travel advisors across the region, develop programs with Chicago-area churches and faith organizations, and represent IMOT at trade events and consumer shows throughout the Midwest.
Marciano steps into the role as United Airlines recently resumed year-round nonstop service between Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) with four weekly flights. The nonstop connection gives the Midwest a lift point to Israel, and Marciano will work closely with United to build on that access through joint marketing, trade outreach and consumer campaigns aimed at Midwest travelers.
“Ilan brings a strong personal connection to Israel and extensive experience in the field, making him an excellent choice to lead IMOT’s tourism initiatives in the Midwest,” said Yoram Elgrabli, commissioner for North America at the Israel Ministry of Tourism. “With United’s nonstop access from O’Hare now part of the picture, this is the right moment to put a dedicated director on the ground in Chicago. The Midwest represents a large share of Israel’s Christian, Catholic, and Evangelical travelers who visit the country for faith-based trips, and Ilan will make them feel welcome and excited about traveling to Israel to visit the sites deeply rooted in history and religion.”
Marciano began his career as a parliamentary correspondent for Ynet, covering Israel’s political system for more than a decade. He later served as an advisor in the Knesset and as chief of staff at the Ministry of Labor and Welfare, then founded I.M Consulting, a strategic communications and government relations firm.
“My focus will be on the market itself – the tour operators, advisors, airlines and community leaders who will bring Midwest travelers to Israel,” Marciano said.
