Holidaymakers Rebook Easter Trips Amid Middle East Conflict
British holidaymakers are altering their Easter travel plans, moving away from Dubai due to the ongoing war in neighbouring Iran. Travel companies have reported a surge in demand for destinations perceived as more reassuring.
Passenger flights across the Middle East are experiencing significant disruption, with official warnings advising against travel to large parts of the region, including the United Arab Emirates. This situation has led to a marked decline in holiday bookings not only in the UAE but also in countries close to Iran such as Turkey, Cyprus, and Egypt, according to travel firms.
Conversely, bookings have increased for destinations including Portugal, Italy, Spain, the Caribbean, Mauritius, and the United States. Some airports have reported that flights are filling up more quickly than during the same period last year.
Flight Availability and Demand Challenges
Experts in the travel industry have expressed concerns about flight and holiday availability. Many travellers whose trips were cancelled due to the conflict are urgently seeking to rebook, while others who had not yet made arrangements are gravitating toward the same alternative destinations.
"British travellers are looking for 'reassuring alternatives to avoid travel through the Middle East'," said Neil Swanson, managing director of TUI UK and Ireland.
Swanson noted that travellers are opting for "familiar, easy-to-reach" locations, with Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Cape Verde experiencing increased demand.
"There is also particularly strong demand for flights to the Caribbean, especially the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, and also Phuket, in Thailand, and India's Goa," he added.
Booking Trends and Search Interest Data
Thomas Cook reported a 42% increase in bookings to Portugal over the two weeks ending 13 March, marking the largest rise among its destinations. This was followed by a 40% increase for the Balearic Islands and 16% for the Canary Islands.
While most UK package holiday providers and travel agents did not specify exact figures for demand changes across various locations, TravelSupermarket shared data indicating a "clear surge" in online search interest for European and Atlantic destinations, with a decline for Middle Eastern locations.
Searches for the Dominican Republic, Antigua, Cape Verde, and Italy's Tuscany region more than doubled between 1-11 March compared with the preceding 11 days.
Online package holiday provider On The Beach reported a significant slowdown in demand following the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, particularly for destinations such as Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt.
Jet2 boss Steve Heapy told Travel Weekly that people were not booking trips to Cyprus and Turkey, and "cancellations are up."
Travel Advisories and Security Concerns
Although there are no official warnings against travel to Greece, the UK government has indicated that terrorist attacks in Cyprus cannot be ruled out. It cautioned that "regional escalation poses significant security risks and has led to travel disruption."
The UK government advises against travel to certain parts of Egypt and Turkey; however, this does not include popular tourist areas. In Turkey, the advisory specifically recommends avoiding travel within 10km of the Syrian border.
Gloria Guevara, president of the World Travel & Tourism Council, told the BBC, "demand for Turkey remains high, although some tourists are understandably delaying travel there while waiting to see what happens in the Middle East."
Flight Capacity and Airport Reports
According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority's latest aviation trends report, last year was the busiest ever for flights, and many industry bodies anticipate that 2026 will surpass those figures.
One transatlantic carrier indicated that many of its flights to the US during the Easter period are nearly full, leaving limited capacity for late bookings or travellers seeking to change destinations.
The Manchester Airport Group, which operates East Midlands, Stansted, and Manchester Airports, reported that flights are operating at much higher capacity compared to the previous year.
A spokesperson said the capacity of flights has increased from about 80% to almost 90%, meaning there is limited scope to pivot away from the Middle East.
Passenger numbers are expected to rise by 10–20% compared with last year, with Dublin, Barcelona, Paris, Alicante, and Copenhagen all experiencing significant increases.
Fuel Prices and Fare Adjustments
Following US and Israeli air strikes on Iran, there has been a dramatic surge in oil and jet fuel prices. Airlines including Qantas, Air New Zealand, and Thai Airways have confirmed plans to increase fares in response to these rising costs.
British Airways owner IAG stated it had purchased fuel in advance to shield itself from short-term fare increases in the coming months.
Seamus McCauley, head of public affairs at Holiday Extras, commented, "While the conflict is a 'concern for many', affordability is holidaymakers' priority.
"As a result, we expect holidaymakers will head to places where they can get more for their money and experience warm weather in locations far from these tensions," he said.
Additional reporting by Jemma Crew and Faarea Masud.
