As the eastern Mediterranean region continues to see the knock-on effects of war in the Middle East on its tourism industry, an increasing number of Brits are opting to holiday elsewhere.
Such popular destinations as Turkey, Cyprus and even Greece are being shunned for alternative countries.
Regarding Turkey, the FCDO advises against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism.
And British travellers are cancelling holidays to Cyprus as fears grow over the Iran war – despite officials saying the island remains safe to visit.
While there currently no warnings for travel to Greece on the GOV.UK website, Brits are still seeking vacations elsewhere amid ongoing conflict nearby.
Travel agents across the country have weighed in, highlighting which countries and areas are seeing a surge in interest instead.
Unsurprisingly, the countries seeing a boom are mainly located in western Europe – although a large number further afield have seen greater interest too.
Croatia has seen a huge boom in interest in the wake of the Middle East conflict
Italy, Spain, Malta and Croatia are on the rise, highlighting the appetite Brits have for these much-loved holiday hotspots.
It was revealed at the weekend that Marbella, which has long enjoyed its reputation as Spain’s most glamorous resort town, is seeing an increased interest from tourists.
With getaways to the UAE firmly on pause, Marbella is likely to be poised for its busiest summer in a while.
Bethany Hall, a travel expert with over 17 years in the industry, told the Daily Mail: ‘Some travellers who might previously have chosen Dubai or other long-haul luxury destinations are now leaning back towards Europe.’
Jonathon Woodall-Johnston, from travel agency Hays Travel, also said there was particularly high demand for trips to Italy, Malta and Croatia.
Meanwhile, some further-flung parts of the world are piquing British interest at the moment.
Neil Swanson, a director at TUI, told the Guardian: ‘We’re seeing particularly strong demand for our direct long‑haul flying to the Caribbean, especially the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.’
Mark Duguid, from Surrey-based holiday operator Kuoni, echoed this, saying interest in the Caribbean was ‘off the charts’ for trips in the coming weeks.
Caribbean destinations such as the Dominican Republic are also on the rise
It comes as the tourism industry is suffering from the conflict in the Middle East.
It was last week revealed that the Middle East region’s tourism industry has already taken a devastating financial hit – that it may take years to recover from.
Current estimates suggest the conflict is costing the industry €515 million (£444 million) every day that it continues, with incoming visitor numbers – even in areas not directly affected – declining rapidly.
The US and Israel first launched strikes on Iran on February 28 and tourism across the region has been in freefall ever since.
The highest number of airline cancellations since the 2020 pandemic have been recorded, with stop-over flights to destinations including India, South East Asia and Australia affected – 14 per cent of global international transit traffic passes through the Middle East.
Repatriation flights are now well underway across the region.
But travel to and through the region is firmly on pause and, with bombardment continuing from both sides, tourism industry losses could total £35 billion based on World Travel & Tourism Council figures.
Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC), including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE – including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, are expected to see the largest downward spiral, as they’ve traditionally been viewed as largely safe and stable for visitors.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a safe holiday to book for the fast-approaching Easter break, experts have picked the 11 safest and warmest spots for families and couples that are still taking bookings for April.
Seville in Spain and Tangiers in Morocco top the list, with excellent weather and plenty to see and do.
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