Despite ongoing conflict in the Middle East, a new survey by travel experience company First in Service Travel Ltd finds that travel advisors have experienced mostly stable travel demand.
According to the research, conflict in Iran has influenced traveler behavior, but it has caused limited disruption to overall business volume. Instead, demand has shifted significantly toward Europe, with nearly 60% of F1S advisors across Europe, North America and South America reporting no change in booking activity.
When asked about overall travel business volume, 44.1% of advisors said they had seen no change and that business remained about the same as before. Another 32.3% reported that business had somewhat decreased. However, 14.7% said business had increased, noting that uncertainty had driven more clients to seek advice. Only 8.8% reported a significant decrease, with bookings noticeably down.
The survey also highlighted changing traveler behavior. More than thirty-six percent of advisors said they’re seeing redirected demand, with clients still traveling but choosing different destinations. Roughly thirty percent reported shorter lead times, as travelers are making plans closer to their departure dates. A quarter (24.2%) said they had not observed any meaningful changes, while 9.1% saw cancellations or postponements as clients canceled their travel plans altogether.
As travelers shifted away from affected regions, Europe emerged as the most popular alternative destination. Mediterranean, Southern Europe and Adriatic destinations accounted for 78.1% of the alternative destinations being selected by travelers. Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, as well as domestic or closer-to-home destinations, tied for second place at 6.3% each. Central America and the Caribbean, North America and South America each accounted for 3.1% of responses.
"While some F1S clients are postponing travel, the majority remain confident and are simply rerouting to familiar regions perceived as lower-risk — notably Europe — and booking with shorter lead times,” said Fernando Gonzalez, CEO and founder of First in Service. “That combination points to ongoing opportunities for our advisors to guide and reassure clients during uncertain times."
