With winter travel taking off in the lead up to Christmas, airfares across the Middle East and North Africa region have witnessed a spike, with a 11.37% year-on-year increase in international flight bookings until January, according to online travel marketplace Wego.

However, as a possible impact of the geopolitical tensions in the region, following the onset of the Israel-Gaza war, data has further revealed that average flight prices on some traditionally popular routes have dropped this winter compared to 2022, with Cairo experiencing the biggest decline in fares, resulting in an upward tick in bookings.

According to data, flights to Cairo from several GCC countries have witnessed some of the steepest price drops, averaging up to 35% cut compared to last year’s winter period. Some routes have seen fares hitting pre-pandemic levels, with the average ticket price from Riyadh to Cairo dropping by 112.81% in 2023 compared to the winter period toward the end of 2019.

Due to a sharp drop in fares, Cairo has emerged as the most popular destination among price conscious MENA residents, followed closely by Jeddah, Dubai, Istanbul, and Kuwait, Wego data suggested.

The Kuwait to Cairo route has shown a decline of 62% compared to the average price before the pandemic.

In November, Egyptian tourism minister confirmed with Reuters that the conflict had resulted in cancelled bookings, which had been capped under 10%. Prior to the war breaking out in October, tourism in Egypt was on track to earn more than $13 billion this year and hit a target of 15 million visitors.

Major cities in the South and Southeast Asia also feature on the list of popular destinations this season, with Manila, Lahore, and Delhi in the top 10. Travel interest in these destinations may represent the homecoming trips for the Filipino, Indian, and Pakistani communities in the region.

(Writing by Bindu Rai, editing by Seban Scaria)