As global tensions rise, many European tourists have been rapidly changing their travel habits by moving away from the Middle East and toward European destinations for their vacations.
Countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy could benefit from this sudden change in tourist activity.
The shift in travel behavior began as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East intensified. Although many of the destinations within that region are still operating as normal, simply due to the amount of uncertainty generated by these ongoing events, many travellers have started to rethink their travel plans.
Travel companies are now starting to see the trend.
For example, one of Europe’s largest travel operators, TUI has recently commented that they expect to see increased visitor numbers at Mediterranean resorts as visitors are now looking for alternatives to traditional Middle Eastern beach vacations.
A spokesperson for TUI indicated that tourist destinations in Spain, Portugal and Italy may see an increase in visitor numbers within the foreseeable future because of this trend. Travellers who had planned to visit the countries of Egypt or Turkey are now considering alternative destinations that are closer to home than to those locations.
The trend is beginning to be reflected in the booking data.
Various online travel agencies are showing a significant rise in the number of cancellations for many of the Middle Eastern nations.
One such agency is Destinia who is reporting many cancellations in recent weeks.
Among the many destinations that have been impacted by the cancellations are Egypt, Jordan, and Dubai.
Curiously enough, in most cases, the normal operations of the tourism industry in those areas are still functioning. Flights continue to operate, hotels remain open, and attractions still welcome visitors.
Nonetheless, it is often a person’s perception of a destination that will determine his or her decision to plan a trip there versus some other location. Even a small amount of uncertainty or a lack of confidence in the ability to perform one’s travel plans can keep a family from traveling and result in a family having to delay their trip by several months.
Because of this situation, the ripple effect of this trend is already affecting several of the most sought after tourism cities in Europe.
Spain has historically been a leading summer tourist destination to Egypt and Turkey because both Egypt and Turkey offer great weather, beautiful beaches, and lower packages than many of the other leading European summer tourist destinations. As some of those travelers are reevaluating their travel to Egypt and Turkey at this time, Spain is likely to receive an increase in the number of visitors this summer.
According to hotel owners in areas like the Canary Islands, they expect this shift will occur slowly over the next few weeks. One hotel operator said they do not expect a sudden influx of tourists but expect an increase in visitors from countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom.
The price will be higher than other destinations.
Some holidays to the Canary Islands could be up to three times more expensive than similar holidays to Egypt or Turkey. Some tourists however may still choose this holiday as it is perceived as more predictable and closer to home.
Others may go even further and choose not to leave their home country at all.
If the weather is nice in their home countries during the summer season, many Europeans will choose to have domestic holidays instead of international holidays.
Tourism research companies are also tracking how these trends are changing.
A recent report by travel intelligence company Mabrian has tracked five of the largest tourist markets (UK, Germany, France, Italy, USA) and many travelers are beginning to redirect their travel focus from the Middle East to destinations that they feel are geographically closer.
There is a growing trend of the importance of proximity when it comes to travel!
Germans are starting to look towards more distant places like Morocco and Greece.
Italians are exploring places further afield such as Croatia, the Czech Republic, Norway and Spain.
The British seem to be following suit.
Portions of Malta, Morocco and Montenegro are emerging as potential alternatives for holidaying.
This does not mean that tourism will die within the Arabian peninsula. There are still many people who want to go and visit the area when things improve.
What has become clear is that there is now a basic rule being applied to holiday making throughout Europe at the moment – as uncertainty increases, then so do the number of people who will choose to travel closer to their home.
This summer could see holidaymakers give a different look to the tourism map of the region bordering the Mediterranean.
