Middle East tourism is shaken because of war

The Middle East tourism industry is currently facing the most serious crisis since Covid-19. Reports from early March paint a bleak picture, from the closure of the skies in Dubai to the emptiness of monuments in Jordan.

The Middle East tourism industry began 2026 at a record high as regional travel bookings reached nearly $101.2 billion, up 23% from pre-pandemic levels. This region is a bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa, establishing its position as the most important transport bridge in the world thanks to major centers such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi.

On February 28, Israel and the US carried out military operations and raids on Iran, causing the Middle East tourism industry to reverse.

Aviation crisis

The chaos in the global aviation industry continued to escalate on March 2 when hundreds of flights were canceled. The conflict between the US – Israel and Iran pushed hundreds of thousands of passengers into the situation of “not being able to travel, not being able to stay”. Shares of major airlines are also under heavy pressure after several days of disruption, especially when President Donald Trump hinted that US military operations could last another four weeks.

Major airports in the Middle East, including Dubai – the world’s busiest international airport, were closed for the third consecutive day. This is considered the most serious shock to the aviation industry since the Covid-19 pandemic paralyzed the world. As of March 2, an additional 1,239 flights were canceled. Major airlines in the region such as Emirates (Dubai), Etihad Airways (Abu Dhabi) and Qatar Airways (Doha) simultaneously canceled hundreds of schedules.

The disruption is not limited to the Middle East. Air India has canceled flights departing from Delhi, Mumbai and Amritsar to major cities in Europe and North America. According to data from flight tracking platform FlightAware, nearly 2,800 flights were canceled on February 28 and 3,156 on March 1.

“For passengers, there is no way to mitigate this reality, everyone should be mentally prepared for delays or cancellations in the coming days as the attacks continue,” said Mr. Henry Harteveldt, aviation industry analyst and President of Atmosphere Research Group.

Theo Flightradar24as of March 2, the airspace over Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Israel, Bahrain, UAE and Qatar was almost empty.

The crisis also caused huge logistical problems. John Strickland, an aviation analyst in the UK, said the problem is not just the number of passengers but also the disruption of personnel and aircraft. Crews and aircraft are currently stuck around the world, making resuming operations complicated.

Currently, many governments have issued “do not travel” warnings to most Middle Eastern countries. In Australia, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said about 115,000 Australian citizens are present in the area and face the risk of being stuck due to blocked airspace.

The tourism industry suffered losses

In UAEaccommodation centers recorded stagnation. According to word analysis The Moodie Davitt Report, The UAE tourism and aviation retail industry is facing a systemic shock, it is estimated that travel and retail service revenue at UAE airports in the first quarter could decline by 2.5 billion USD. This loss is mainly due to the disruption of tourist sources from Europe and North America – the markets with the highest spending levels in the Dubai Duty Free area.

The cancellation rate at hotel systems recorded 40-60% immediately after the order to block part of the airspace was issued.

Conference and event tourism, which is Dubai’s main growth driver, was completely disrupted. Travel group TUI announced to stop all business delegations to the UAE in March because insurance units refused to issue war risk insurance certificates.

Some landscape items and outdoor structures on Palm Jumeirah island and the area adjacent to the Burj Al Arab hotel in Duabi were damaged due to impact from intercepted drone debris.

Saudi Arabia also recorded serious disturbances when many explosions were recorded in the capital Riyadh and the Eastern Province region, forcing the government to put the defense system on the highest alert. Aviation disruption directly threatens the target of welcoming 29.7 million passengers in the Vision 2030 strategy, which considers tourism as a pillar of economic development.

The flow of spiritual tourists to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina was also affected. Super resort projects along the Red Sea and the future city of NEOM are on the rise, now facing the risk of stagnation as international investors and tourists begin to withdraw due to unpredictable security risks.

In Jordan, Its position as a bridge for heritage tourism was severely shaken when the country had to continuously intercept flying objects that entered the airspace right in the skies of famous tourist areas after February 28. Closures and restrictions on the skies have caused a sudden drop in seat capacity to iconic destinations such as Petra and Wadi Rum, crippling the 13% recovery just achieved by the end of 2025.

The wave of “do not travel” warnings from key markets such as the US and UK has forced large travel agencies such as Bein Harim to stop cross-border transportation activities, turning crowded historical sites into deserted areas after just a few days of conflict. Many international tourist groups had to find ways to leave Jordan by road after flights were postponed indefinitely.

Qatar and Bahrain must activate air defense systems around military bases and essential infrastructure to deal with raids from Iran. National airline Qatar Airways was forced to suspend a series of intercontinental flights to Europe and the US.

Bahrain witnessed a decline in confidence from business delegations following the “shelter in place” recommendation of many Western governments. Hotel bookings decreased. Visitor numbers at cultural attractions such as the Pearling Path and Manama markets have declined.

In Kuwaitreports of infrastructure damage near air transport areas have exacerbated the paralysis of the regional flight network, turning the Middle East from the world’s busiest “transportation bridge” into an isolated and avoided airspace.

In Israel and Iraninternational travel activities fell into a state of complete shutdown when the entire airspace was closed and major airlines from the US and Europe simultaneously cut off flight connections. Heritage tours in ancient Iranian cities such as Isfahan or Shiraz are 100% canceled.

The Israeli tourism industry recorded a loss of up to 90% of monthly revenue due to operating bans and the risk of direct war. This disruption not only causes immediate economic damage but also creates a long-term structural challenge for the aviation-based growth model of the entire Middle East region.