Middle East conflict disrupts aviation industry, fewer travelers to Thailand impact tourism recovery
The Middle East conflict has led to soaring aviation fuel prices and reduced flights, causing airfare hikes. This resulted in a 3.45% year-on-year decrease in foreign tourists to Thailand from January to April. The tourism recovery in Southeast Asian nations heavily dependent on Middle Eastern visitors, including Thailand, is slowing, affecting the hotel industry.
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- 📰 Published: May 6, 2026 at 19:46
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Li Zongxian, Bangkok 6th) The Middle East conflict has driven up energy and aviation fuel prices, leading many airlines to raise ticket prices and reduce some flights, which in turn puts pressure on Thailand's tourism industry. According to official statistics, foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand decreased by 3.45% year-on-year in the first four months of this year. Industry operators estimate that Southeast Asian countries highly dependent on Middle Eastern visitors may experience a relatively weak tourism performance this year.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, due to the unstable situation in the Middle East, foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand decreased by approximately 3.45% year-on-year in the first four months of this year; tourism revenue was 584 billion Thai baht, a year-on-year decrease of approximately 3.2%.
Ross Veitch, co-founder and CEO of Wego, the largest travel search engine in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, stated in an exclusive interview with the Central News Agency that since the escalation of the Middle East conflict, global aviation fuel prices have soared. Airlines in Asia and Europe have reduced some routes to the Middle East, leading to fewer flights and further increases in ticket prices.
Veitch explained, "Airlines have had to pass on some of the costs to passengers. Air ticket prices in the Middle East region have risen by about 40% to 50% compared to the same period last year."
He frankly stated that the tourism industry in markets like Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, which rely on Middle Eastern travelers, faces significant pressure. "It might be a relatively weak year for tourism performance." The Thai government originally set a target of 35 million foreign tourists for 2026, but this target was revised down to 32.14 million in early April.
Robin Gilbert-Jones, a senior analyst at the US travel website Skift, believes that the Middle East conflict will slow down the pace of tourism recovery in Asia, but it will not change the trend of recovery.
He pointed out to the Central News Agency that Asia has been continuously strengthening its aviation and tourism-related infrastructure in recent years. "When some Middle Eastern aviation hubs are affected, Asia has the opportunity to absorb some of the demand, so the overall growth rate of the tourism industry is still higher than the global average."
Gilbert-Jones said: "This double-edged sword will slow down economic recovery on one hand, but on the other hand, Asia may also benefit from this crisis."
The Thai hotel industry has already felt the pressure. The Nation reported today that with rising oil prices, reduced flights, and decreased travel demand, the Thai hotel industry is now preparing for the off-season, and bookings have already declined.
Prachoom Tantiprasertsuk, Regional Vice President of Operations for Dusit International (Central and South Asia), told The Nation that hotel bookings in Thailand for the second and third quarters are down by 20% to 30% year-on-year. If long-haul travelers decrease, hotels will be forced to focus more on short-haul and domestic markets, while cutting costs, saving energy, and reducing the recruitment of new staff.
She said: "After the Middle East conflict has continued for more than two months, the hotel industry can barely hold on for another one to two months, but if the conflict continues longer, the situation will be even more difficult." (Editor: Wei Shu) 1150506
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Li Zongxian, Bangkok 6th) The Middle East conflict has driven up energy and aviation fuel prices, leading many airlines to raise ticket prices and reduce some flights, which in turn puts pressure on Thailand's tourism industry. According to official statistics, foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand decreased by 3.45% year-on-year in the first four months of this year. Industry operators estimate that Southeast Asian countries highly dependent on Middle Eastern visitors may experience a relatively weak tourism performance this year.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, due to the unstable situation in the Middle East, foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand decreased by approximately 3.45% year-on-year in the first four months of this year; tourism revenue was 584 billion Thai baht, a year-on-year decrease of approximately 3.2%.
Ross Veitch, co-founder and CEO of Wego, the largest travel search engine in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, stated in an exclusive interview with the Central News Agency that since the escalation of the Middle East conflict, global aviation fuel prices have soared. Airlines in Asia and Europe have reduced some routes to the Middle East, leading to fewer flights and further increases in ticket prices.
Veitch explained, "Airlines have had to pass on some of the costs to passengers. Air ticket prices in the Middle East region have risen by about 40% to 50% compared to the same period last year."
He frankly stated that the tourism industry in markets like Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, which rely on Middle Eastern travelers, faces significant pressure. "It might be a relatively weak year for tourism performance." The Thai government originally set a target of 35 million foreign tourists for 2026, but this target was revised down to 32.14 million in early April.
Robin Gilbert-Jones, a senior analyst at the US travel website Skift, believes that the Middle East conflict will slow down the pace of tourism recovery in Asia, but it will not change the trend of recovery.
He pointed out to the Central News Agency that Asia has been continuously strengthening its aviation and tourism-related infrastructure in recent years. "When some Middle Eastern aviation hubs are affected, Asia has the opportunity to absorb some of the demand, so the overall growth rate of the tourism industry is still higher than the global average."
Gilbert-Jones said: "This double-edged sword will slow down economic recovery on one hand, but on the other hand, Asia may also benefit from this crisis."
The Thai hotel industry has already felt the pressure. The Nation reported today that with rising oil prices, reduced flights, and decreased travel demand, the Thai hotel industry is now preparing for the off-season, and bookings have already declined.
Prachoom Tantiprasertsuk, Regional Vice President of Operations for Dusit International (Central and South Asia), told The Nation that hotel bookings in Thailand for the second and third quarters are down by 20% to 30% year-on-year. If long-haul travelers decrease, hotels will be forced to focus more on short-haul and domestic markets, while cutting costs, saving energy, and reducing the recruitment of new staff.
She said: "After the Middle East conflict has continued for more than two months, the hotel industry can barely hold on for another one to two months, but if the conflict continues longer, the situation will be even more difficult." (Editor: Wei Shu) 1150506
Stand with facts, every sponsorship from you is a power to protect press freedom.
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All text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.