Hays Travel has revealed bookings are down 9% year-on-year as a result of the Middle East conflict.
Hays Chair Dame Irene Hays revealed the decrease on this morning’s Today programme on Radio 4.
She said: “Not unsurprisingly bookings are down. As of last night, bookings for the comparative week last year, bookings were 9% down on the previous week which is actually an improved position from last week, when news of the war was still emerging.
“At the moment we have a dampening of people booking and an increase in people either wanting to change their holiday or perhaps cancel.”
She said that, while there are capacity issues to the east, there is ‘lots of available capacity’ to the west and Europe.
“For us at the moment, short-haul is dominating and the winners there are Spain and Portugal, Italy, Malta.
“Prices were already increased on last year but at the moment we are seeing lots of capacity at reasonable prices in Europe.”
She said cruises are also popular, adding: “In fact, [for] some cruise lines last week the number of bookings actually increased.
“At the minute, it’s Europe and cruise increasing in bookings.”
