Immediate
priority: customer care and repatriation
According to Eric Dresin, Secretary General of ECTAA, the sector’s focus is
firmly on passenger safety and operational response.
“At this stage, the absolute priority for European travel agents and tour
operators is the care of customers currently present in the region. Our members
are working around the clock to ensure the safety, assistance, and where
necessary the rerouting or repatriation of all affected travellers. This is an
immediate and large-scale challenge: European source markets account for around
50% of all leisure travel into the Middle East, meaning that a very significant
number of European citizens are on the ground or in transit right now.”
The scale of the Middle East travel disruption is amplified by the volume
of European outbound traffic to the region. With approximately half of leisure
arrivals into Middle Eastern destinations originating from Europe, thousands of
travellers are either in-destination or in transit during the crisis.
Coordination
across governments and suppliers
ECTAA confirmed that crisis coordination mechanisms are fully activated
across Europe.
“Cooperation with national administrations, foreign affairs ministries and
consular services is fully operational across all European countries. In
parallel, our members are in constant contact with airlines, ground handlers,
hotels and other suppliers to ensure the best possible support to stranded or
affected passengers — a particularly complex task given that operations at
Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, the three major hubs connecting Europe to Africa and
Asia, have been suspended or severely disrupted.”
The suspension or severe disruption of operations at Dubai, Abu Dhabi and
Doha — three critical intercontinental hubs — has intensified the Middle East
travel disruption, particularly for routes linking Europe with Asia and Africa.
·
Reaccommodation of stranded passengers
·
Rebooking on alternative routes
·
Coordination with consular authorities
·
Managing onward
connections beyond Gulf hubs
·
Handling increased customer communication volumes
Broader market implications
“There is no question that this disruption affects one of the world’s most
strategically important travel corridors. The Middle East welcomed nearly 100
million international arrivals in 2025, up 39% above pre-pandemic levels, with
spring being a peak season for European travel to destinations such as the UAE,
Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Any sustained disruption to Middle Eastern air
corridors therefore has consequences that extend well beyond the region itself.”
With nearly 100 million international arrivals recorded in 2025 — 39% above
pre-pandemic levels — the Middle East represents a high-growth tourism region.
Spring is traditionally a peak season for European outbound travel to the
United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
A prolonged Middle East travel disruption would therefore affect not only
destination arrivals but also airline networks, tour operator programming and
forward bookings across multiple continents.
Assessment still
evolving
“The situation is evolving hour by hour and we do not yet have sufficient
stable information to assess the short- or mid-term impact on tourism flows.
Our entire focus at this moment is on crisis management and the immediate care
of our customers.”
The organisation confirmed it will continue monitoring developments before
issuing a broader outlook.
“We will continue to monitor developments closely and will provide a
broader assessment as the situation becomes clearer.”
As the Middle East travel disruption continues to unfold, European travel
intermediaries remain focused on crisis response, customer protection and
coordination with aviation and government stakeholders, pending clearer
visibility on the duration and structural implications of the current conflict.
Tags: Eric Dresin, ECTAA