The tourism industry has been heavily hit by the current
conflict in Iraq. Holidaymakers are avoiding Turkey and Cyprus and indeed,
the most of the Mediterranean. Muslim countries, such as Egypt and Turkey,
or those that have suffered recent terrorist attacks, such as Kenya, are
the worst affected.

Destinations as far away from the war zone as Spain are
also suffering. It looks like family bookings are the hardest hit, with
six out of ten who went abroad last summer not yet having booked for this
year.

People who are travelling appear to be shortening their
holidays. The number of fortnight breaks booked in the UK for this year
has fallen by half while the number of one week stays is down by only
20 per cent. Travel Trade Gazette deputy editor Ian Taylor said: ‘It
is clear Easter is likely to be poor by industry standards and family
bookings probably won’t come back in large numbers until a ceasefire.

You can contact Padmassana at padmassana@globetrotters.co.uk