Family package holidays to Dubai and Egypt are cheaper this summer than last, as tour operators cut prices to lure back travellers spooked by the war in Iran. Prices for an average all-inclusive seven-night family stay in the United Arab Emirates have dropped by 25% this August compared with last, while the same holiday to Egypt is 8% cheaper, according to TravelSupermarket data compiled for the BBC.
The conflict has put many UK holidaymakers off travelling to countries near the region or through Middle Eastern airspace, instead opting to stay in Europe. Tim and Natalie Harris from Swansea had booked a holiday to Dubai with their two teenage daughters this summer, but when the Iran war broke out they cancelled and lost their deposit. “We did manage to find a package for £6,400 for all-inclusive in Mexico which we’ve booked,” says Tim.
“Dubai and Egypt package holidays cheaper this summer as war in Iran deters UK families, while European prices creep up”
Last month, the Foreign Office dropped its advice against travelling to Dubai after the US and Iran reached an agreement to stop the war, but warned British citizens that “the situation remains unpredictable” in the region. Tour operators have also cut prices to other non-European destinations: an average holiday to Morocco is down 6.5%, Tunisia down 2.5% and Turkey 1.6% cheaper than last summer.
Mollie Hitchen, assistant manager of Marple Travel Hyde, says customers were more nervous this year about going anywhere near the Middle East, or getting stuck somewhere further afield because of fuel shortages. “People will ask questions, but we just reassure people that there is absolutely no problems with those destinations,” she says.
Flora Badger, who is taking three teenage girls on their first holiday abroad this summer, contacted BBC Your Voice to share her frustrations in watching holiday prices fluctuate. She first considered booking in April to avoid the expensive summer months, but held off because of the situation in the Middle East and fears of getting stuck abroad. She ended up booking to go to the Spanish island of Lanzarote in September. “Price was a huge, huge issue,” she says. “It’s very frustrating how much it increases in the school holidays. At the end of the day they need a treat, we’ve been saving up for it, they’ve been looking forward to it, so we’re planning on going.”
Meanwhile, the cost of package deals to Spain, Portugal and Greece are up between 3-5%, the data suggests, so the trend of cheaper long-haul holidays may continue to draw families away from Europe.