The ongoing conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran is reportedly inflicting massive losses on the travel and tourism industry.
According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the combined effects of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, along with Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Gulf countries, have reduced international visitor spending in the Middle East by at least $600 million (£450 million) daily, equivalent to roughly £20 million per hour.
The organization links the downturn to disruptions in air travel, declining traveler confidence, and reduced regional connectivity. Under normal circumstances, roughly 500,000 passengers travel daily to, from, or through the region’s three major aviation hubs: Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, and Doha in Qatar.
The Middle East usually represents around 5% of global international arrivals, with one in every seven connecting passengers passing through one of the Gulf airports. Commercial activity at these airports has mostly come to a halt, along with inbound tourism, and several governments are advising against travel to the region.
“The sector can recover quickly, especially when governments support travelers through hotel support or repatriation,” said Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of the WTTC.
“Our analysis of previous crises demonstrates that security-related incidents often see the fastest tourism recovery times, in some cases as quickly as two months, when governments and industry work together to restore traveler confidence,” she added.
The impact stretches across the broader travel ecosystem, as lower passenger volumes affect airlines, airports, hotels, car rental firms, cruise operators, and other tourism-related businesses that rely on international travelers transiting through the region.
WTTC stated that it is monitoring the situation and working with governments and industry stakeholders to ensure traveler safety and sector stability.
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