Travellers worried about costs and flights by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East are changing their summer holiday plans, with lastminute bookings, safer destinations such as Spain, and rail travel all growing in popularity.
Jerome Vayr, President of France-based hotel group Vacances Bleues, said holidaymakers were increasingly making their plans days before they arrived.
"Last-minute bookings are rising significantly, by around 15%," he said.
"I think people are waiting to see what will happen with inflation, waiting to see whether or not they'll be able to travel abroad."
Tourism and aviation are among the sectors most exposed to the war between the U.S. and Iran.
Gulf airlines and regional tourism hubs such as Dubai have been badly hit by the ongoing conflict.
Airlines have faced flight suspensions, sharp increases in jet fuel costs and longer flight paths as pilots seek to avoid Iranian and Israeli airspace.
Jay Wardle, President at travel data group Sojern, said traditional European destinations were benefitting, as travellers opt for safer choices for their holidays.
"What we're seeing in the data is not a slowdown in travel demand, but a shift in where travellers are choosing to go," he said.
Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Spain's largest hotel chain Meliá Hotels, likewise, said he expected strong bookings in regions further away from the fighting.
"Spain and the Caribbean are far away enough from conflict zones and close enough to key source markets to offer a sort of safe-haven destination this summer," he said.
Airlines have warned their profits are under pressure, particularly due to the rise in jet fuel prices.
Major European airline group Air France-KLM has said it expects its jet fuel bill to jump by $2.4 billion this year, while other dominant European carriers such as Lufthansa and British Airways have said they expect to see rises of about $2 billion.
U.S. low-cost carrier Spirit went bust this month, stoking fears others could follow
Meanwhile, rail is profiting from the uncertainty in the aviation industry. Alvaro Ungurean, Director of trainbooking platform Trainpal, has reported a 25% rise in Eurostar ticket sales, while nearly twice as many Britons are looking to travel by train in France this year.
Charlie Sultan, President of travel management tool Concur Travel at German software maker SAP, said even people on business trips were increasingly shifting from flights to trains.
Gregg Abott, 54, an Australian citizen living in Britain, is one of the travellers sticking to rail for his summer holiday.
"We'll almost certainly be doing short-haul Europe, and almost certainly be doing trains, because they run on electricity," said Abbott, who is Head of Operations for a broadcasting company.
Abbot added that he didn't want to go far due to prices and was looking at European destinations, including Austria, Barcelona in Spain and France.
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fight...
Police were deployed across Paris on Saturday, as a curfew was set to take effect in the Republique and Chât...
A drone strike hit a power station in northern Sudan early Sunday (1 November), sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions, witnesses said....
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) carried 419,000 connecting passengers through Baku in the first nine months of 2026, up 29 per cent year on year, highlighting the capital's growing role as an international aviation hub.
Azerbaijan is seeking to attract more European visitors by improving air connectivity and raising its profile as an international tourism destination, with a new direct route between Brussels and Baku expected to support those efforts.
Saudi Arabia is opening up to more international travellers as tourism expands beyond religious travel. In Riyadh, historic landmarks stand alongside new developments and a rapidly changing skyline, while AlUla and Diriyah offer a glimpse into the kingdom’s heritage.
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are considering restoring passenger ferry services across the Caspian Sea, six years after the route was suspended.
Flights across some of Britain's busiest airports were thrown into chaos on Tuesday after a technical failure at air traffic control provider NATS disrupted the system used to process flight data.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment