European tourists are reshaping summer travel plans because the Iran war has pushed up costs and added disruption risks, with many booking later and leaving room to change plans. [1, 2]
Greg Abbott, a 54-year-old Britain-based Australian, said he is staying closer to home in Europe and taking trains for a short-haul trip because of cost and uncertainty. “We’ll almost certainly be doing short-haul Europe, and almost certainly be doing trains, because they run on electricity,” Abbott said. “The prices are just crazy at the moment.” [1, 2]
Abbott is weighing a cycling trip in Austria, a festival in Barcelona and possibly a yoga retreat in France. Roadsurfer executive Susanne Dickhardt said travellers are getting “more cautious and deliberate” and that most are adapting rather than cancelling. [1, 2]
The war is also rippling through aviation and tourism, including Gulf airlines and hubs such as Dubai. Air France-KLM, Lufthansa and IAG have warned that jet fuel costs are rising sharply, while US low-cost carrier Spirit went bust this month, according to the reports. [1, 2]
Voyageurs du Monde has seen demand swing with the conflict, with CEO Jean-Francois Rial saying business fell by around 25% in March before the decline eased to about 10% in April. “You’ve got a war happening – a major war,” Rial said. “People get nervous; they don’t want to travel anymore.” [1, 2]
The reports were dated May 12 and described summer holiday planning under the impact of the Iran war. [1, 2]
