Trade weighs impact of Middle East conflict


Agents and operators take stock of trading and the impact of the Iran war at an industry round-table discussion. Lucy Huxley reports from Chamonix


I


ndustry leaders have spoken about the shift from dealing with the immediate operational impact of the Middle East


conflict to retaining and encouraging future bookings. Agency bosses, speaking in a


round-table discussion hosted by Travel Weekly and Hotelplan UK in Chamonix, said frontline advisors had been able to reassure clients and reported shifts in demand. Paul Waters, manging director of


Premier Travel, said 15%-17% of the agency’s business had been directly impacted, adding: “It’s important to reassure the team that there is still 80% out there and more to sell.” He said: “Our initial focus was to


look after [impacted] customers, but also those in the UK due to travel, even if it’s to Spain in December. “We’ve really focused on


reassurance messaging. Some [clients] want to put their plans on hold, so we launched a marketing strategy – ‘You’re in safe hands’ – focusing on all the things we do as a retailer.” Waters added: “We are reminding


agents that this is not like Covid, when no one was going anywhere and we were having to refund all our money.” Jake Cullum Hollins, chief


executive of The Good Travel Agent, 12 2 APRIL 2026 We need to make


sure, as an industry, that people know that most of the world is still open


agreed: “The key word is uncertainty. But we’ve been in these situations before and it’s how we react to them which makes us stand out. “We’re seeing uncertainty


from customers with rebooking, but I’m sure that uncertainty will lead to a busy lates period.” Advantage Travel Partnership


commercial director John Sullivan said “resilient areas”, including Spain, Portugal and the Canaries, were performing strongly, with the Caribbean also growing in popularity. He added the trade’s response to


the conflict had “again underpinned the vital role agents play at times like these.” Nicki Tempest-Mitchell, managing


director of Barrhead Travel, said the war had highlighted areas for operational improvement, but she was confident the agency’s decision to set up a 24/7 support team and exceed the Package Travel Regulations by paying for stranded customers’ extended stays would bear fruit.


She said: “If you do the right


thing by your customers, your business will recover really quickly. “We should all stay very hopeful


that customers will still want to go on holiday. When giving refunds, many customers are rebooking.” Nicki Goldsmith, head of global


agency sales for Virgin Atlantic, said liaison with trade partners continued to play an important role in the airline’s response. Noting direct flights to the


Maldives, Johannesburg and Cape Town had been used for repatriation efforts, she said: “We’ve collaborated closely with agency partners to better understand the extent of disruption and identify where additional capacity is needed. Their feedback has been invaluable in shaping our network plans for the coming quarters. “While short-term trading


remains healthy, the wider aviation sector continues to face concerns over rising operating costs and the potential impact on future demand.”


Touring collaboration The bosses of touring specialist operators praised collaboration within the sector, led by the Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers, and said the conflict


had highlighted improvements for how to support both customers and agent partners. Shane Lewis-Riley, trade


distribution director of Titan Travel, agreed with Waters on comparisons with the Covid pandemic, saying: “Covid was 100% [travel shutdown] and this is not 100%. We need to make sure, as an industry, that people know the majority of the world is still open. “What was really special was


how Atas members came together to help each other through it all. Co-ordinated through Ian Dines of Newmarket Holidays, who chairs the association’s operational steering committee, we put aside any competition and any egos to keep each other informed and supported.” Lewis-Riley said the conflict


had highlighted many operators’ reliance on the Middle East as a hub. He also warned that higher costs of direct flights tallied with rising energy prices and said the cost of living would pose challenges, adding: “The issue isn’t whether [customers] can afford a holiday, it’s whether people are prepared to take the risk of taking money out [of accounts].” However, he also reported agents


were pivoting, with the operator enhancing commercial opportunities


travelweekly.co.uk


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