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Aito buoyed by 'marked rebound' in bookings six months on from start of Iran war

Operators
Dea Jusufi
27 August 2026

Travel is beginning to shake off months of subdued demand according to new data from Aito, whose members have reported a welcome surge in bookings six months after US and Israeli strikes on Iran plunged the Middle East region back into crisis.

Cardo Maximus in Roman city Gerasa, Jerash, Jordan stock photo
iStock/Kisa_Markiza

The Foreign Office continues to warn that the regional security situation is 'unpredictable', though earlier this week it relaxed its advice for Aqaba, Jordan's main coastal tourism destination

After three months of upheaval and a further three months of skirmishing amid a shaky ceasefire, specialist operators are reporting a "marked rebound" in booking patterns and conversion rates, with forward sales for 2027 proving particularly robust.

Aito Executive Director Martyn Sumners said there was "no question" the conflict and resulting uncertainty had affected consumer confidence earlier in the year, but claimed the recovery was now gathering pace. "The strength of advance bookings is particularly encouraging," Sumners said.