New ATTA® Industry Member Survey finds Travel Demand Remains Strong Despite Iran-Israel War

A new travel industry survey reveals that postponements outweigh cancellations as confidence in African travel remains resilient.

A new ATTA®, African Travel & Tourism Association, member survey released today (Monday 11 May 2026) at Africa’s Travel Indaba 2026 reveals that while ongoing Middle East aviation disruption is creating short-term booking hesitation, confidence in African travel remains fundamentally strong.

The Africa Tourism Market Intelligence Report 2026 surveyed ATTA® members across the continent’s tourism ecosystem to include lodges, camps, DMCs, tour operators, airlines and tourist boards - to assess the impact of current aviation disruption on forward bookings and market sentiment.

The findings show that while 77.5% of respondents report some degree of booking impact linked to Middle East disruption, the overwhelming majority describe this as postponement and caution rather than widespread cancellation.

Most significantly:

• 51% of members report clients postponing trips
• 39.5% say clients are still travelling but seeking reassurance
• 31.3% are successfully finding alternative routing solutions

ATTA® says the ratio of postponements to cancellations is the clearest indication that underlying demand for African travel remains intact.

The survey found that disruption to Gulf transit hubs - particularly Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi - is the single biggest operational challenge facing the industry, cited by 62.6% of respondents.

However, members also reported strong longer-term enquiry pipelines and continued demand for 2027 and 2028 travel.

Rupert Finch Hatton, Head of Sales at Nomad Tanzania, said: “Enquiries for the remainder of 2026 is strong but getting these enquiries over the line with a commitment has become a whole lot tougher since fuel concerns have been raised. Bookings for 2027 are however still converting well.”

Among African suppliers:

• 61% reported their outlook as either the same or stronger than last year
• 23.4% said business is stronger than the same period last year

ATTA® says this resilience reflects continued confidence in Africa’s long-term tourism appeal, particularly for high-value experiential travel.

Several respondents also highlighted emerging opportunities created by shifting traveller behaviour.

Daniel Allcock, Managing Director of Green Safaris Zambia, noted:

“Zambia’s reputation is on the ascendency, turbo-charged by the social media publicity around the density of tourists in the National Parks of other sub-Saharan countries.”

Meanwhile, Zanzibar and East Africa were identified as destinations continuing to benefit from alternative routing options and strong traveller demand.

Dominique Adolphe, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager at Diamonds Mapenzi, said:

“Zanzibar is still incredibly accessible despite using the Middle East as a hub, due to various alternative direct and indirect routes and charters.”

Virginia Messina, Group CEO of ATTA®, said:

“The findings reinforce the importance of clear communications, flexible airline routing and industry collaboration during periods of global uncertainty.

It is clear from the survey that travellers are not walking away from Africa. They are pausing, seeking reassurance and adjusting travel plans - but the appetite for African travel experiences remains very strong. This is fundamentally a routing and aviation challenge rather than a destination confidence crisis.”

“Africa’s tourism industry has demonstrated extraordinary resilience over the last few years. There is a strong pipeline, adaptability around alternative air routing and strong forward demand into 2027 and 28. The current environment is challenging, but there is a continued demand for long-haul, experiential and nature-based travel and many opportunities for destinations perceived as less crowded or more exclusive. Our role now is to maintain traveller confidence, improve connectivity and continue communicating the accessibility and value of African destinations.”

ATTA® surveyed its 954 members in April 2026.

ENDS

Media Contact: Frances Tuke [email protected] Tel: +44 203 750 1656 / WhatsApp +44 7415 136001.

About ATTA®

The African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA®) is the leading trade association promoting tourism to Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. Through its global membership spanning the entire tourism ecosystem, strategic partnerships and internationally recognised events, ATTA® connects African tourism businesses with buyers, media and industry leaders worldwide, helping drive sustainable growth and opportunity across the continent. 

Apply for membership here: https://atta.travel/about/apply-to-become-a-member.html

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