From February 28 to March 12, more than 92 thousand flights were scheduled in the Persian Gulf region, but more than 49 thousand of them were canceled. The most serious disruptions in air traffic were recorded in Bahrain and Qatar.
A tangible blow to planned revenues
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) projected about $207 billion in tourism revenues for the region for 2026. The optimistic forecasts followed the end of a successful 2025 for the industry in the region. The Emirate of Dubai managed to attract more than 2 million tourists per month for the first time in December, with average hotel occupancy rates exceeding 80%. In total, more than 19.5 million international travelers visited the region last year.
Disruptions in air travel caused by the escalation of the military conflict promptly affected economic indicators. According to preliminary estimates, daily losses exceed $600 million. Losses are incurred not only by airlines and airports, but also by other tourism service providers – hotels, car rental services, restaurants and cruise operators.
Airports in Doha (Qatar), Dubai, Abu Dhabi (both UAE) and Manama (Bahrain), which account for the main transportation load in the region, serve more than 0.5 million passengers daily. Qatar and Bahrain were the hardest hit. In the UAE, the situation is being rectified more quickly – one canceled flight for every three flights operated.
There is reason for optimism
Despite the serious situation in the Persian Gulf, WTTC analysts note high stability of the industry. The key steps in this direction are the provision of assistance to tourists forced to stay in the countries of the region in accommodation and return home, coordination of actions of government agencies and representatives of the travel industry, transparency of communication and strengthening of security measures.
Restoring confidence in the countries of the region is also very important. As shown by by a recently released study by consulting company Mabrian, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman have seen the most significant declines in the security perception index. The UAE manages to restore tourist confidence most quickly, while Saudi Arabia suffered the least reputational damage in the region.
Earlier Logos Press reported about the release of the report “Oxford Economics” (UK), in which the economic loss of the tourism industry in the Gulf countries is estimated at $34-56 billion, and the decline in the overall level of tourist flow fluctuates at the level of 11-27%.
The Middle East occupies an important place in the global transportation chain. The region accounts for about 5% of all international arrivals and approximately 14% of global transit passenger traffic.
