Middle East travel bookings drop 7% as regional war fears hit demand, report says

Growing fears of the Israel-Gaza war sliding into a wider conflict involving Iran and its proxies are affecting demand for air travel to the Middle East, with bookings down by 7% for the region. Flight tickets issued in the period between July 15 and July 25 for any future travel date to the Middle East are down 7% year on year, with Jordan and Lebanon suffering the biggest drops, data from travel research company ForwardKeys has found. Bordering the Israel-Gaza conflict, Jordan has recorded a 21% year-on-year decline in flight bookings and Lebanon a 14% decrease in tickets booked between July 15 and July 25 for future travel dates, the data showed. “Travellers increasingly prioritise destinations perceived as stable and secure, and the escalation of tensions in the region will undoubtedly impact travel demand in some way,” Olivier Ponti, director of intelligence and marketing at ForwardKeys, told The National. Data for flight bookings made in the first seven months of the year also reflects concerns about escalating geopolitical threats in the Middle East.<br/>