UAE Travelers Are Hesitant After Houthi Attacks, Not Canceling

Travelers heading to the United Arab Emirates are hesitating after the latest Houthi attacks, but few are canceling, Skift reports. Conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia has intensified since early October, on top of a U.S.–Iran war that began in late February and disrupted regional airlines and slowed Gulf outbound travel in the first half of the year.

Musafir.com says new UAE vacation inquiries dipped slightly over the past two weeks, but no customers have canceled and bookings remain above last year’s levels. Wego data show UAE travelers booked October flights 25 days ahead, up from 23, while Trip.com says booking lead times have fallen below 15 days overall.

Demand is moving toward shorter trips. Trip.com reports Gulf outbound flight bookings rose 57% year over year this summer, with short- and medium-haul trips making up more than 80% of searches. Asia is absorbing much of it, with interest in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and China after visa access improved.

Flightradar24 tracking shows many flights crossing Saudi Arabia normally, though Strategic Aero Research says some Emirates flights to Europe are routing along the eastern coast and via Iraq. In the Maldives, where more than a third of arrivals come on Gulf carriers, Pulse Hotels & Resorts says arrivals have rebounded since the February-to-April trough but are unlikely to match last year’s full-year total.

Sources: Skift