Some European tourism down from Asia, Middle East due to Iran war

Tourism officials say fewer tourists are coming to Switzerland, Austria and Britain because of the war in Iran.

Guests from Asia canceled in March, partly because flights through Middle Eastern hubs like Dubai were cancelled, Switzerland Tourism spokesman André Aschwanden told dpa. New bookings were also down.

“It is all the more unfortunate as it is currently the high season in the Gulf countries but also in India or Southeast Asia for travel to Europe and Switzerland,” he said.

Unmissable spots in Switzerland

The impact is being felt in Zurich, Thomas Wüthrich, director of Zurich Tourism, told dpa.

“Reactions from the catering sector, retail trade and other tourism services show that the absence of international customers was already noticeable in March,” he said.

The problem was general uncertainty about international travel, he said, leaving bookings for the summer and fall depressed.

In Lucerne, around two thirds of those surveyed report “a downward trend in reservations”, said Jessica Ternes of the Hotellerie Suisse Central Switzerland association.

“Businesses with a high share of group travelers from Asia and guests from Gulf countries are particularly affected,” she said.

Travel to Great Britain down sharply

Britain generally attracts guests from the Middle East. Nearly a third of top-spending tourists from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who traveled to Europe went to Britain, tourism organization VisitBritain reported.

But since the war began on February 28, flight bookings from the Middle East have fallen by 50% and those from India by a third, the statement said. Until July, reservations were significantly lower than the previous year’s level. Tourists are still waiting to see how the situation develops.

Austrian Alps and Vienna also affected

Austria also felt the effects of the war. Destinations like Salzburg, Tyrol and, in some cases, Vienna were particularly affected by a sharp decline from the Near and Middle East, said the spokesperson for the Austrian hotel association.

Some high-end hotels in Vienna had 20% fewer guests.
Missing guests not only meant empty beds, but also reduced revenue, and not just for the hotel sector: Arab guests in Austria spent on average around three times more money per day than tourists.

Few concerns in Italy and Spain

Italy has seen almost no significant decline and does not expect this to change. Traditionally, most guests come from Europe as well as North and South America.

In Spain, the war has so far not caused any concern, according to the travel industry’s umbrella association Exceltur.

Spain could benefit if the war against Iran was short-lived. Otherwise, the negative consequences would likely outweigh the positive consequences, Exceltur believes. As a particularly safe country, it could attract more tourists.

At the same time, the association warned that fewer people could travel due to rising hotel and flight prices and strained household budgets.