War in the Middle East: a brutal slowdown in tourist bookings (except for Morocco)
French tour operators are approaching the summer 2026 season with caution in the face of the war in the Middle East. Despite this cautious climate, Morocco is maintaining a strong booking dynamic among travelers for the coming months.
The data as of the end of February from the Union of Tour Operating Companies, reported by Boursomara, outline a positive start for the period from May 1 to October 31. The seventy members of the organization, including TUI, Fram and Club Med, are recording an overall increase of 4.1% in their clientele, generating revenue growth of 5.4%.
On Bladi.net: Summer vacations: Morocco is booming among the French
In this panorama, the appeal of Morocco is confirmed with an 8.5% increase in the number of travelers. While Spain maintains its leading position in the market with a slight increase of 1.7%, the other Mediterranean destinations have mixed results. Italy is up 3.6%, in contrast to Greece and Tunisia, which are down 1.8% and 3.4% respectively. Further afield, Mauritius is up 12.2% while the United States is down 33%.
This generally favorable trend is, however, confronted with the immediate repercussions of the conflict in the Middle East. The tourism sector has experienced a brutal slowdown since the outbreak of hostilities. Professionals have noted a 15% drop in bookings during the first week of March, a deterioration that has accelerated to reach a 25% drop the following week.
Patrice Caradec, president of the union, justifies this disruption by the difficulty for travelers to plan their vacations in an anxious context. The executive mentions an "enormous caution on the part of customers". This phenomenon severely penalizes Turkey and Egypt, two countries that are experiencing sharp declines in activity despite their non-direct participation in the armed conflict.
On Bladi.net: Morocco: bookings by French tourists plummet
This spring slowdown contrasts with the very satisfactory results of the 2025-2026 winter season. Between November 1 and April 30, the sector generated 1.8 billion euros in revenue, driven by a 4% increase in customers. This success is based on the one hand on the return of snow in the French mid-mountain ranges, generating a 5% increase in domestic sales, and on the other hand on the excellent performance of sunny winter destinations, such as Egypt (+41.4%), Italy (+19.5%), the Dominican Republic (+7.6%) and Morocco (+4.8%).
