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In light of the ongoing conflict in Iran, British vacationers are increasingly turning to the Caribbean as an alternative luxury travel destination, steering clear of the Middle East. This shift has resulted in a significant surge in interest, with searches for Caribbean holidays climbing by 81% in the first half of March compared to the previous two weeks, as reported by TravelSupermarket.
The unrest has compelled travelers to reconfigure their plans, with a staggering six million passengers affected by flight cancellations to and from the Middle East since the conflict’s onset on February 28. Out of 118,642 scheduled services in the region, 63,265 have been grounded.
Moreover, the war has not only complicated air travel with restricted corridors for long-haul routes between Europe and Asia but has also driven up jet fuel prices, raising concerns over future cost implications.
As a result, British tourists who previously favored luxury hotspots like Dubai, Doha, or Abu Dhabi are now setting their sights on the idyllic shores of the Caribbean, seeking sun-soaked escapes in a more stable environment.
Now, Brits who might have travelled to high-end destinations such as Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi for their holidays are now looking at alternatives in the Caribbean.
Experts said some tourists are also considering switching countries within the Caribbean, trying out areas which have been traditionally less popular with Brits.
The Turks and Caicos Islands were found to have seen the biggest boost in interest since the conflict started with share of Caribbean searches surging by 119 per cent.
The Dominican Republic was second with its search share up 100 per cent, while Tobago was third with a 79 per cent rise and St Lucia was in fourth up 55 per cent.
The Turks and Caicos Islands has seen the biggest boost in interest since the Iran war started
The Dominican Republic has also seen a big boost in interest from Brits since the war began
Antigua’s share rose 53 per cent, Jamaica was up 49 per cent and Aruba increased 42 per cent; while Barbados and the Bahamas were both up 23 per cent.
Chris Webber, head of holidays and deals at TravelSupermarket, said today: ‘When global events change holiday plans, we tend to see travellers pivot quickly.
‘The Caribbean is a natural beneficiary. What’s striking here isn’t just the overall jump in searches, but how broadly that interest is spread.
‘Destinations like Turks and Caicos and Tobago aren’t typically where British holidaymakers look first, so to see them surging suggests people are still keen to try somewhere new.’
The research analysed all searches on TravelSupermarket.com over the two weeks from March 2 to 15, compared to the previous fortnight.
British Airways Holidays has also seen a boost for the Caribbean, with Barbados searches up 46 per cent and Antigua up 63 per cent versus the same time last year.
BA last week announced an expansion of its Caribbean routes for this winter – including a new daily London Gatwick to Barbados service from October 25.
The Al Seef market in one of the main tourist areas of Dubai is mostly empty on March 13
An Emirates plane prepares to land at Dubai Airport on March 16 following a drone strike
There will also be a standalone daily St Lucia service from the same date as well as increased flights from Gatwick to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
It comes as former BA boss Willie Walsh warned last week that air fares are soaring as the crisis engulfing airlines sparked by the Iran war is ‘akin to post-9/11’.
Mr Walsh, now boss of industry body the International Air Transport Association, said tickets on US-UK transatlantic flights would be the worst and quickest hit.
He said that while bookings were holding up, travellers are opting more for Western and Southern Europe and North Africa rather than eastern European destinations such as Cyprus or Turkey, which are closer to the conflict.
Airline bosses have warned soaring fuel prices sparked by the Iran war could be passed onto families looking to get away this summer if the conflict drags on.
Demand has been dropping from UK holidaymakers for getaways to the likes of Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt since the US-Israeli war on Iran began.
But bookings are up for Portugal, Italy and Spain as well as longer-haul trips to the Caribbean as well as the US, Cape Verde, Mauritius, Thailand and India.