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Sat, 18 Apr 2026

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 Iran war sees holidaymakers stay closer to home

One man says he cancelled his holiday to Spain due to the rising costs and uncertainty.
Holiday companies in Suffolk are reporting an increase in bookings for domestic breaks as people seek certainty and stability due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Awaze, a leading holiday rental group based in Lowestoft, saw a surge in bookings over Easter, while Best of Suffolk cottages reported a rise in demand from families who want the guarantee that their holiday will happen. Travel expert Jane Hawkes said there has been a "measured shift" towards UK staycations, driven by a combination of factors including ongoing geopolitical tensions, rising costs, and potential travel disruption. Louise Brown, head of operations at Awaze, attributed the increase in bookings to customers seeking certainty around costs and ensuring they can get home easily. She said: "Customers have got a little bit of fear with regard to travelling abroad at this particular stage... it's the uncertainty of where the war is going to go, how long it's going to go on for..." Becky Alderton, experience manager at Best of Suffolk, said cost was definitely a factor in the rise in demand for UK holidays. She added: "When people are so tight on money, when they want to book their holiday, they want the guarantee that it's going to happen, and that's not possible with abroad travel currently." Travel agent Jennifer Bradnam said she had not seen a spike in UK staycations herself but encouraged people to book their holidays as soon as they could due to possible price increases. The conflict in the Middle East has caused rapid price rises for both petrol and diesel, and some residents have cancelled their foreign holidays due to concerns about fuel shortages and potential disruptions.