Mediterranean bookings surge
Tourists are rerouting away from the Middle East: bookings to Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Croatia, Malta — even Norway — have jumped as travelers choose safer Mediterranean options amid regional unrest [](https://travelandtourworld.com/news/article/spain-italy-portugal-croatia-malta-norway-see-travel-boom-as-greece-turkey-egypt-uae-tourism-suffer-from-middle-east-war-flight-chaos-global-tourists-flee-conflict-for-safe).
Analysts warned greekcitytimes.com the Gulf could lose between $34 billion and $56 billion in visitor spending in 2026 as an estimated 23 million–38 million fewer international arrivals are now expected to travel to the region. Middle East airspace closures since February 28, 2026 have forced longer routings and operational disruption, producing 190 cancellations and 821 delays across Europe on March 11, 2026, according to AirHelp airhelp.com. IATA’s March 6 chart highlighted acute jet-fuel supply vulnerabilities tied to the conflict that are lifting operating costs for carriers. iata.org TUI reported record 2026 pre-bookings from Germany with Mediterranean markets leading demand, a signal tour operators are reallocating capacity for the summer season. news.gtp.gr Greek hotel data from Nelios showed a 33.3% rise in pre-bookings and a 19.2% revenue increase through October 2025, underscoring stronger early demand for Greek properties. solaya.asia Croatia recorded roughly 17.1 million foreign tourists in the first 10 months of 2025, providing a strong baseline as operators report elevated 2026 interest. tourismreporter.com Norway posted a record 40.6 million guest nights in 2025, with foreign guests driving most of that growth, and coastal operator Hurtigruten reported unprecedented January bookings for 2026 routes. ssb.no Small-ship specialist Unforgettable Croatia sold more than 50% of its 2026 inventory at launch and reported a 150% rise in trade revenue over two years, illustrating capacity tightening in Adriatic cruising. luxurytraveladvisor.com Norwegian Group carried 27.3 million passengers in 2025, a figure airlines cite when planning increased frequencies into popular Northern and Mediterranean gateways for 2026. ready2go.no Industry bodies cautioned the shift may be temporary: IATA flagged that Middle East tensions are a major downside risk to global demand in early 2026, while independent trackers report war‑risk insurance and fuel-price pressures pushing airline costs sharply higher. iata.org
