Holidaymakers from the UK and mainland Europe are shifting their summer plans away from the eastern Mediterranean due to the US-Israel war on Iran, travel companies have reported. Destinations such as Cyprus, Turkey, and Greece are being swapped for Italy, Spain, Malta, Croatia, and the Caribbean as travellers seek to avoid flight cancellations and airspace closures.
Tui, Europe's largest holiday operator, noted a sharp rise in demand for Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Cape Verde. Neil Swanson, a Tui director, said customers are choosing 'familiar, easy-to-reach locations' and that amendments currently outweigh cancellations. Hays Travel's Jonathon Woodall-Johnston added that demand is particularly strong for Italy, Malta, and Croatia.
Long-haul bookings to the Caribbean have surged, with Kuoni's Mark Duguid describing interest as 'off the charts'. However, flight prices have soared, with round-trip fares from London to Antigua rising 27% to £917 in a week. Duguid noted that some seats have increased by £1,000 per person, pricing many out of the market.
The conflict has hit travel industry profits. On the Beach suspended its annual profit guidance after a 'significant slowdown' in bookings to Turkey, Cyprus, and Egypt. Its shares fell 13% on Thursday. Shares in easyJet and Jet2 have also dropped by 16% and 10%, respectively. Loveholidays is reportedly delaying its planned flotation.
The Middle East's tourism sector is losing $600m (£448m) a day in visitor spending, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. The Foreign Office advises against travel to the UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. British Airways has cancelled its Abu Dhabi route, and Wizz Air is reallocating half its Middle East capacity to European destinations.
