The escalating tensions in the Middle East are costing the region's travel industry at least 600 million U.S. dollars daily in international visitor spending, according to an estimation of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) released on Wednesday.
The conflict has resulted in disruption to air travel, declining traveler confidence, and interruptions to regional connectivity, WTTC said.
WTTC's analysis is based on its 2026 pre-conflict forecast for the Middle East, which projects 207 billion U.S. dollars in international visitor spending across the region this year.
However, the council said that major regional aviation hubs including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar's capital Doha, and Bahrain, which together normally handle over 520,000 passengers per day, have experienced closures and operational disruptions, significantly affecting regional and global connectivity.
Despite the current challenges, WTTC said that travel and tourism is one of the world's most resilient economic sectors.
Research of previous crises shows that tourism demand following security-related incidents, with the right response, can recover in as little as two months when governments and industry act quickly to restore traveler confidence, it said.
The Middle East plays a vital role in global travel with the region accounting for 5 percent of global international arrivals and 14 percent of global international transit traffic, according to the council.
Conflict costs regional tourism sector 600 mln USD per day
