Spain and Portugal are experiencing a surge in late spring and summer flight and hotel bookings as millions of travellers steer away from war-affected destinations and hubs in and around the Middle East, industry data Show.
Reuters – Summer flight bookings to Spain, including transit, soared 32% year-on-year as of April 2, while hotel searches rose 28%, according to digital travel marketing platform Sojern. Portugal recorded a 21% rise in flight bookings, with hotel searches up 16%.
Travel data firm Mabrian noted a pullback from Middle Eastern destinations last month and an uptick for the southern Mediterranean, with Spain, which rivals France as the world's most visited country, the main beneficiary of the shift.