{"id":9627,"date":"2026-03-05T14:51:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T10:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/economy\/war-pauses-tourism-uncertainty\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T09:47:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T05:47:26","slug":"war-pauses-tourism-uncertainty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/economy\/war-pauses-tourism-uncertainty\/","title":{"rendered":"Tourism on Hold Amid Conflict: What This Means for Investors and Business Owners in Oman"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitv3sog-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OMAN OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogh\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Websites For <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Omani Businesses.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogs\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Empower your brand with custom digital solutions designed for high conversion and market dominance.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbl\"><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Responsive designs built for growth<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Fast loading with smart automation<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitv3sogbtn\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Build Your Free Website <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Paris \u2013 The ongoing war in the Middle East is casting a significant shadow over the region\u2019s tourism sector, leading to cancelled flights, postponed trips, and widespread uncertainty for travelers and operators alike.<\/p>\n<p>Nazih Rawashdeh, a tour guide near Irbid in northern Jordan, reported that his last group of tourists departed three days ago, with all planned tours for March subsequently cancelled. \u201cThis is the start of the high season here. It\u2019s catastrophic,\u201d he told AFP, emphasizing that Jordan remains safe despite the turmoil.<\/p>\n<p>Globally, tour operators are urgently working to assist clients stranded in the region or those with upcoming travel plans. Alain Capestan, president of the French tour operator Comptoir des Voyages, said their immediate priority is to bring travelers currently in the Middle East back home. He added that disruption extends beyond the region itself, as major aviation hubs like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha are affected.<\/p>\n<p>In Germany, tour operators including Alltours, Dertour, and Schauinsland-Reisen have committed to covering extra accommodation costs for stranded clients. They have also suspended trips to the UAE and Oman until at least March 7.<\/p>\n<p>Swiss cruise company MSC Cruises is responding to a stranded ship in Dubai by arranging five charter flights to evacuate nearly 1,000 passengers, aiming to have them out of the region by Saturday. Details of the evacuees\u2019 destinations and nationalities have not been disclosed.<\/p>\n<p>The British travel association ABTA confirmed that travel agencies will halt sending customers to the region as long as the UK Foreign Office maintains its advisory against non-essential travel. Affected customers will be offered rebooking or refunds.<\/p>\n<p>The conflict is disrupting a tourism sector that had been flourishing. According to UN Tourism data, the Middle East welcomed approximately 100 million tourists in 2025 \u2014 about seven percent of global international arrivals \u2014 marking a 3 percent year-on-year increase and a 39 percent rise compared to pre-pandemic figures. European tourists constitute a significant share, followed by visitors from South Asia, the Americas, and neighboring Middle Eastern countries. For instance, in 2025, nearby markets accounted for 26 percent of visitors to Dubai, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Economy.<\/p>\n<p>Oxford Economics highlighted the economic risks, noting that the tourism decline could significantly impact regional GDP and employment. Helen McDermott, Director of Global Forecasting at Oxford Economics, projected a possible 11 to 27 percent drop in inbound arrivals to the Middle East in 2026 compared to earlier forecasts predicting 13 percent growth. This reduction could mean 23 to 38 million fewer international visitors and a loss of $34 to $56 billion in tourism revenue.<\/p>\n<p>Rawashdeh, reflecting on the situation in Jordan where tourism had begun to recover after Covid-19 and recent conflicts, called the current downturn devastating. \u201cFor the past six months, those working in tourism had hope. And now there\u2019s a war. This will be terrible for the economy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>However, there is cautious optimism. Ibrahim Mohamed, marketing director of Middle East Travel Alliance, which coordinates tours to American and British operators, acknowledged a current slowdown in new bookings but expressed confidence that demand will return once stability is restored. \u201cThe Middle East has always been an incredibly resilient market, and demand always bounces back fast once stability returns,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The tourism outlook for the Middle East remains uncertain as the conflict continues, but industry insiders remain hopeful for a swift recovery once peace is achieved.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><style>\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitl8gak-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakh\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Your Website <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Should Sell.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gaks\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Custom-built websites with smart automation & AI-powered features.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbl\"><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>SEO-optimized & lightning fast<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Smart features built for your business<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitl8gakct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitl8gakbtn\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Get Free Consultation <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Special Analysis by Omanet | Navigate Oman&#8217;s Market<\/p>\n<p>The ongoing conflict in the Middle East poses a <strong>significant short-term risk to Oman&#8217;s tourism sector<\/strong>, with cancellations and reduced tourist flows threatening substantial economic losses. However, the <strong>region\u2019s historical resilience and pent-up travel demand<\/strong> present a strategic opportunity for businesses and investors to prepare for a strong post-conflict recovery. Smart entrepreneurs should focus on <strong>strengthening domestic and regional tourism offerings<\/strong> and enhancing crisis response strategies to mitigate future disruptions.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cancelled flights and postponed trips highlight the impact of the Middle East war on tourism. Despite safety in places like Jordan, tour operators focus on reuniting stranded clients. Visitor numbers may drop 11-27%, risking a $34-56bn loss in spending. Recovery expected post-conflict.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":9628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[482],"tags":[186,4057,4058],"class_list":["post-9627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","tag-middle-east","tag-tourism-impact","tag-travel-disruption"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3314084.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9627"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9629,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9627\/revisions\/9629"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}