What could summer vacations be like for Europeans? - Nearby destinations are targeted for fear of rising airfares
Europeans may choose closer destinations rather than traveling to more distant places in Asia and the Middle East for their summer vacations, an analyst said, as conflict in the Middle East could lead to higher ticket prices and fears of travel problems.
Patrice Caradec, head of France's tour operators union, said represented agencies have recorded a 4% drop in sales of holiday packages outside France in March and early April compared to the same period last year.
In France, a survey conducted in mid-March showed that 71% of people plan to spend their holidays within France this summer. Only 9% plan to travel outside the continent. Budget constraints are the main reason. While the price of a long-haul flight ticket has increased by more than 100 euros since the start of the conflict, medium-haul flights have been less affected.
European airlines are facing their biggest challenge since the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Iran war raises jet fuel prices and buffets travel across the Middle East, casting a shadow over the summer holiday season.
Carriers have largely weathered the crisis with cost-cutting measures, even though the price of jet fuel has risen by nearly 84% since the start of the conflict, but they could face shortages if the war does not end soon.
But Willie Walsh, head of the International Air Transport Agency (IATA), said that to date, there is “no evidence that people have changed their travel habits” since the war began. “Demand for travel continues to be very strong, it has been strong in the first three months of this year,” he said. “I think it is too early to say that people will change their behavior.” Walsh remains optimistic about tourism in Europe this summer. “At this stage, we expect tourism to continue to be strong in the European summer period,” he said.
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