Stories

Tue, 17 Mar 2026

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 Easter holidaymakers switching from Dubai to Spain as flights fill up

It comes after the war in Iran caused mass disruption to flights across the Middle East and UAE.

* Bookings for Easter trips to Dubai have been cancelled due to the war in neighbouring Iran, causing a surge in demand for "reassuring" destinations.
* Travel firms report a sharp slowdown in holiday bookings to the Middle East and countries close to Iran, such as Turkey, Cyprus, and Egypt.
* Demand is up in Portugal (42% increase), Italy, Spain, the Caribbean, Mauritius, and the US.
* British travellers are looking for "familiar, easy-to-reach" destinations with Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Cape Verde seeing higher demand.
* Online search interest shows a "clear surge" for European and Atlantic destinations and away from the Middle East.
* Searches for the Dominican Republic, Antigua, Cape Verde, and Italy's Tuscany region have more than doubled between March 1-11 compared to the previous 11 days.
* Many UK package holiday providers report a significant slowdown in demand following the onset of conflict in the Middle East.
* Jet2 boss Steve Heapy says people aren't booking trips to Cyprus and Turkey, and "cancellations are up".
* There is no warning against travel to Greece, but UK government advice warns that terrorist attacks in Cyprus cannot be ruled out.
* The UK government advises against travel to some parts of Egypt and Turkey, but not the tourist hotspots.
* Oil and jet fuel prices have surged in the wake of US and Israeli air strikes on Iran, with many airlines confirming they will increase fares.