Every day of war with Iran stops international tourists from spending €550 million in the Middle East, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Many are now looking to Europe as a safe destination.
The blow to tourism in the Middle East and Gulf opens up both an opportunity and a risk for Europe: to absorb some of this flow of travellers. WTTC estimates that the Middle East accounts for 5% of global international arrivals and 14% of international transit traffic, so the impact could be very strong on demand worldwide, particularly in Europe.