British families are flocking to Spain for the May half-term break, with bookings to Ibiza doubling as the Iran conflict prompts a shift away from destinations near the Middle East. The popular Balearic island, known for its vibrant nightlife, is set to be packed during the last week of May after a 100 per cent spike in bookings compared to last year, according to package holiday firm Lastminute.com.
Surge in Bookings Across Spain and Beyond
Parts of the Canary Islands are also experiencing high demand, with Tenerife bookings up 48 per cent year-on-year. The Costa Blanca has seen a 36 per cent increase, while Majorca is up 28 per cent. Malta has recorded a 51 per cent rise in bookings, and Portugal's Algarve is up 21 per cent. Travel agents told the Daily Mail that families are prioritising short-haul holidays for the half-term break, seeking reliable weather, family-friendly resorts, and quick flights.
Destinations within four hours of the UK are being favoured by Britons, despite ongoing concerns that airlines could cancel some services due to the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has disrupted the crucial jet fuel supply route via the Strait of Hormuz. The travel and holiday sector is contending with a reluctance among consumers to fly to destinations perceived as at risk of being caught up in the conflict.
New Border System and Delays
UK holidaymakers heading to Europe have been warned to expect delays on arrival as some countries ramp up the deployment of a new border system. The European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES) requires people from third-party countries, such as the UK, to have their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the Schengen Area, which consists of 29 European countries, mainly in the EU. Greece has already postponed EES rules until September for UK holidaymakers after they led to huge queues and delays, with Portugal and Italy expected to follow.
Impact of Middle East Conflict on Travel
This surge in bookings to Spain follows rival firm On the Beach reporting a sharp drop in people booking trips to countries such as Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus due to the Middle East conflict. Gulf destinations like Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, which have become popular with Brits in recent years, have also suffered significant falls in tourism because of the instability.
Zoe Fidler, head of brand at Lastminute.com, said: 'British families are prioritising easy, sun-soaked escapes for the May half-term break, with classic Mediterranean beach holidays in the sun leading the way. We're seeing particularly strong demand for short-haul destinations, as families look for reliable sunshine, short flight times, and great value packages.'
Jet Fuel Crisis and Airline Responses
The jet fuel crisis has prompted various responses from European airlines. Aegean Airlines expects suspended Middle East flights and a spike in fuel prices to have a 'notable impact' on its first-quarter results. Air France-KLM anticipates a $2.4 billion increase in its fuel bill this year and has downgraded its capacity outlook. EasyJet warned of a bigger half-year pre-tax loss due to extra fuel costs. British Airways owner IAG said it would raise ticket prices to reflect higher jet fuel costs. Lufthansa has introduced a new low-cost fare option and removed 20,000 short-haul flights from its schedule through October. SAS will cancel 1,000 flights in April due to high oil and jet fuel prices. TAP said its price hikes would partially mitigate the impact of fuel price changes. TUI cut its full-year underlying profit outlook and suspended revenue guidance. SunExpress, a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, imposed a temporary fuel surcharge. Virgin Atlantic is adding fuel surcharges to fares. Volotea introduced a new pricing policy linking ticket prices to fuel costs.
Package Holiday Costs and Consumer Protections
Experts have warned that Britons could see the cost of their package holiday abroad increase even after they book, amid concerns over rising jet fuel costs. Under the Package Travel Regulations law, UK holiday firms can add up to 8 per cent to the cost of a package holiday without providing the right to free cancellation. This is only allowed under certain circumstances, such as a significant rise in fuel costs. However, many of the biggest providers, including Lastminute.com, have confirmed that they will not be adding surcharges to their package holidays this summer.
Turkey and Cyprus Face Challenges
In Turkey, officials are concerned that the tourism season has got off to a difficult start, with tough months ahead. The conflict has prompted cancellations and a shift toward last-minute bookings while travellers weigh uncertainties. Data from April 30 showed a modest 5 per cent year-on-year rise to 2.46 million foreign visitors in March, but hotel owners and tour operators said bookings have dropped and travellers are wary. Turkey's tourism minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said: 'A difficult second quarter lies ahead, during which the negative effects of the war will be strongly felt.' He added that a recovery hinges on a lasting ceasefire. Switzerland-based tour operator Bentour said bookings almost halved after reports that Iranian missiles were downed heading toward neighbouring Turkey. However, demand started to pick up at the end of April due in part to price cuts of some 20 to 25 per cent at hotels. Some hotel owners say war uncertainty has brought a flood of cancellations, leading to slashing prices and even selling rooms at losses. Cetta Hotels owner Bulent Bulbuloglu said: 'Bookings have now shifted to last-minute reservations. As demand falls, competition pressures prices. There's no profitability. Even now, we are deliberately selling at a loss just to generate cash flow and pay staff salaries.'
Travel to Cyprus has also been impacted by the war, especially after a drone struck the RAF base at Akrotiri in early March. Travel company SPL Villas reported an 80 per cent drop in searches for holidays in Cyprus. Becky Head, head of sales and operations at SPL Villas, told ITV: 'I think initially, when people do find out that a destination isn't necessarily safe to travel to, when they are with their family, especially children, they are a lot more cautious. So we saw a significant drop in the searches for Cyprus and a knock-on impact in Greece. However, we feel that actually our overall search numbers didn't go down. They were almost shifted to destinations like Portugal and Spain.' Christos Angelides, director general of the Cyprus Hotel Association, added: 'The drone fall at the UK bases on March 2 had an effect both on the perception and also in the actual booking situation in Cyprus. And so, after that, for the next four or six weeks, we suffer a lot of cancellations and a reduction in new bookings.'
Flight Cancellations and Government Response
New figures show that 120 flights from the UK this month have been cancelled as jet fuel prices surge and fears of shortages grow. Aviation analytics company Cirium said airlines have axed 120 of the 22,613 departures initially scheduled from UK airports in May, equivalent to 0.53 per cent. The number of outbound flights planned for June is 36 lower than a week ago, representing a 0.2 per cent reduction and a fall of 7,972 seats. Globally, some 13,005 planned flights for May were cancelled between April 10 and April 21, equivalent to 1.5 per cent. On Sunday, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander insisted summer holiday plans will not face major disruption because of jet fuel supply issues, adding that more fuel has been imported from the US while refineries have upped their production. The Government has also introduced a temporary rule change allowing airlines to group passengers from different flights together on fewer planes to save fuel.
