South Florida’s Gold Coast is renowned for its blue skies, pristine beaches, and ritzy lifestyle. Anchored by Miami to the south and Palm Beach to the north, this stretch of Atlantic coastline has long been a playground for the rich and famous. Smack dab in the middle of the Gold Coast is Fort Lauderdale. The tropical metropolis is sometimes overlooked for its glitzier neighbors when it comes to vacation locales — the city was once best known as the capital of spring break pilgrimages and, in more recent years, as a popular cruise ship port — but thanks to recent development, a thriving arts and culture community, an evolving culinary scene, and its laid-back vibe, Fort Lauderdale is now one of the state’s must-visit destinations.
War-Inflicted Slowdown Ends Robust Year for Tourism in Middle East
30.11.2023 - 12:19 / nytimes.com / Olivier Ponti
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which erupted in early October, has halted international tourism to Israel and severely blunted travel to neighboring countries in a ripple effect spreading across the entire Middle East. While the slowdown in international visitors is only one of the war’s economic repercussions in the region, it poses a significant threat to the economies of Egypt, Jordan and other nations heavily dependent on tourism and has swiftly reversed a banner year of travel in the Middle East.
The war has affected all segments of the travel industry, with international travel operators scaling back or postponing excursions, cruise lines redeploying ships and airlines dramatically reducing service. And many travelers, heeding government warnings and their own worries, are increasingly wary about visiting the region, prompting waves of cancellations.
Local tour operators fear what a protracted war would do to a promising and growing industry.
“We foresaw the Middle East evolving into the ‘New Europe’ with the Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement and Saudi Arabia’s integration into the tourism system,” said Khaled Ibrahim, a Cairo-based consultant for Amisol Travel Egypt and a member of the Middle East Travel Alliance. “We all hope that this war does not escalate and shatter the hopes that people — Arabs, Israelis and Iranians alike — have been holding onto.” Amisol Travel in Egypt has received only 40 to 50 percent of its typical bookings, he said, for the months between February and September 2024.
Hussein Abdallah, general manager of Lebanon Tours and Travels in Beirut, believes that “all of Lebanon is 100 percent safe,” but said he hasn’t had a single booking since the war started, prematurely ending a “very good year” for the tour business. Now, he said, tourist sites like the Jeita Grotto and the Baalbek Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage site, that normally receive thousands of visitors daily, are empty.
“Demand for most Middle Eastern countries is worsening,” said Olivier Ponti, a vice president at ForwardKeys, a data-analysis firm that tracks global air travel reservations. In the three weeks after Oct. 7, flight bookings to the Middle East dropped by 26 percent compared to the bookings made for the same time period in 2019. And inbound tickets to Israel fell below negative 100 percent, compared to the equivalent period in 2019, as cancellations exceeded the number of new tickets issued.
The Israel-Hamas conflict has also “dented consumer confidence in traveling elsewhere,” Mr. Ponti said. According to a ForwardKeys analysis, flight bookings to all regions of the world slumped, dipping 5 percent in the immediate weeks after the war, compared tothe corresponding weeks in 2019.
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Autors
Popular Topics
thepointsguy.com
15.12.2023 / 12:03
Las Vegas waited years for Fontainebleau — here are 5 things you should know about this new resort
No city knows how to celebrate like Las Vegas — and Sin City was in full throttle for the grand opening of the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, a casino resort years and years in the making.
breakingtravelnews.com
14.12.2023 / 14:49
The Middle East’s Leading Beach Destination offers a series of festive treats this holiday season
Enjoy the holiday season in the heart of the capital, Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi, the “Middle East’s Leading Beach Destination” honoured for the 12th consecutive year by the World Travel Awards. Indulge in celebrations that reflect the destination’s unparalleled charm, crafting an experience that is truly unmatched.
skift.com
08.12.2023 / 10:47
New York City Needs 'Affordable Tourism' to Reach Young Travelers
Young budget tourists are putting off trips to New York City. Maybe it’s because they are finding it harder to find affordable rooms.
skift.com
08.12.2023 / 10:47
Middle East Tourism's Fading Momentum
Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, December 8. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
skift.com
08.12.2023 / 10:47
Biden Administration Unveils $8 Billion for New Train Projects
Las Vegas travelers are a $3 billion step closer to speeding through the Mojave Desert on a high-speed train linking Sin City with Southern California.
skift.com
07.12.2023 / 16:33
Middle East Tourism's Success Before Israel-Gaza War: 7 Facts
The Middle East lost its tourism growth momentum once the Israel-Gaza War started in October. Before the conflict, the region was a star performer in the global tourism industry. Here are seven facts about Middle East tourism:
cntraveler.com
05.12.2023 / 15:55
The Points and Miles Deals to Score Before the Year Ends
As 2023 rolls to a close, don’t let your mileage and points balances wane. These December travel deals will come in handy, whether you’re traveling for the holidays or staying cozy at home. Now is the time to add to your accounts, use them for maximum travel benefits—for now or later—or simply keep them alive with extra activity. (Remember: A lot of mileage programs have it set up where your miles expire if you don’t earn any new miles, so be sure to keep track.)
traveldailynews.com
05.12.2023 / 08:41
Bahrain becomes first Middle Eastern nation to host 9th UNWTO’s World Forum on Gastronomy in 2024
The forum is expected to draw attention to Bahrain’s unique position as a destination that offers a multifaceted and all-encompassing travel experience.
traveldailynews.com
05.12.2023 / 08:38
VisitEngland launches new accessibility toolkit for tourism businesses
The free toolkit includes case studies, top 20 tips and downloadable business specific actionable checklists to plan and prioritise improvements, as well as more aspirational technical design guidance.
traveldailynews.com
05.12.2023 / 08:37
Celebrating 70 years of the ICAO Middle East Regional Office in Cairo and deepening cooperation with Egypt
ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar expressed his profound appreciation to the Government of Egypt for hosting ICAO’s MID Regional Office for the past seven decades.
traveldailynews.com
05.12.2023 / 08:35
Book: Routledge Handbook of Trends and Issues in Tourism Sustainability, Planning and Development, Management, and Technology
The book defines and provides a systematic classification scheme for sustainable development trends and issues in the public and private sectors reviewing them in four thematic areas on tourism, such as: Sustainability / Planning and Development / Management / Technology.