How do wars affect tourism?

Skift hold

Large-scale conflicts can harm tourism beyond the borders where the fighting is taking place. Here’s a look at the war’s broader impact on tourism around the world.

Rashaad Jordan

The major conflicts of recent years, notably Israel And Ukrainehave had a significant impact on travel around the world, another obstacle for the industry in its quest for a full recovery from the pandemic.

So how do wars affect tourism? We ask the question Ask Skift, our artificial intelligence chatbot. He provided answers using information from our past media coverage and research, and we also did additional reporting.

What Ask Skift said about wars and tourism:

Wars can have a significant impact on tourism. For example, the Hamas attack in Israel in October 2023 led to the complete shutdown of its tourism sector, as it created instability and danger for tourists in the region. This can affect travel plans, travel agency operations and even tourism promotion strategies. similar to the impact of natural disasters on tourism.

The war in Ukraine also had consequences on European tourism. Although initial demand for travel to Europe has remained stable, prolonged conflict could have devastating effects on Europe’s tourism recovery. This war confidence threatened in travel in Europeparticularly to Eastern European destinations, and caused a setback in the recovery of European tourism.

As a result, wars can lead to tourism closures, disrupt travel plans, and cause significant losses for businesses in the tourism sector. Furthermore, they can also have long-term consequences on the image and perception of a destination, thus discouraging future tourism.

What else do you want to know

The impact of the Hamas attack extended far beyond Israel’s borders, which saw a sharp drop in tourist numbers in Octoberas a growing number of travelers have postponed or canceled their trips to the Middle East. Booking platform based in Washington, DC @Hotel said it has seen a 70% drop in new bookings in the region.

Egypt is a destination in the Middle East which was hit hard by cancellations. Cairo-based destination management company Great Wonders of Egypt said more than half of its U.S. travelers had canceled trips planned for November and December.

Meanwhile, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, expressed concern that the war could reduce the number of visitors from Israel. Rajiv Mehra, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, raised similar concerns And Air India suspends flights to Tel Aviv until November 30 while Israeli airline El Al Airlines has suspended its flights to Mumbai and Delhi for an indefinite period..

Tourism in Ethiopia, as in Israel and Ukraine, has also been damaged by war in recent years. Skift reported in January 2023 that Western governments travel not recommended to Ethiopia due to the ongoing civil war, which has also caused several tour operators not to operate trips to the country. Ethiopian Tourism Minister Sileshi Girma said its tourism industry lost $2 billion to war and pandemic.

War can also complicate tourism marketing messages. Polish tourism officials admitted this in a Skift article from March 2022 they had to be careful when promoting their country. As Polish authorities sought to reassure travelers that Poland was a safe destination, one official admitted it would be difficult to predict in the two months leading up to this summer.

“We take security very seriously and that is the first thing we need to be clear about, whether it is safe to invite travelers to Poland,” said Magdalena Zelazowska, director of the Office’s New York office. Polish tourism.