Do German holiday destinations benefit from the Iran war?

By euronews Published on 26/05/2026 - 8:22 GMT+2•Updated 8:31 Share Comments Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp

A rise in bookings is expected above all on the North Sea and Baltic coasts, said CDU politician Christoph Ploß, the federal government’s tourism commissioner.

The outbreak of the war with Iran is likely to have left a lasting impression on German holidaymakers. Thousands of travellers were stranded in Dubai, for example, anxiously waiting for days for their return flights. Connections between Asia and Europe were also affected. Air strikes in the confrontation between Iran and Hezbollah on the one hand and the United States, Israel and their allies on the other had already begun. In March, Iranian missiles landed in the sea next to a cruise ship in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Many will have wished at the time that they had spent their holiday closer to home.

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Future attacks could also once again disrupt air traffic. Moreover, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has not only pushed up the price of oil. The availability of jet fuel is under close observation. Flights could become more expensive, as could package holidays that have already been booked.

For destinations in Germany, the federal government’s tourism commissioner sees this as a welcome opportunity:

“As severe as the impact of the crisis in the Middle East is for many sectors, it also opens up opportunities for tourism in Germany,” said CDU politician Christoph Ploß in an interview with newspapers in the Funke media group, according to spiegel.de. A particular increase in bookings and “even stronger demand than in previous years” is expected at the beaches along the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

Almost one in five changing their travel plans

The magazine reported online on a representative survey by the expense-management provider SAP Concur, published over the Whitsun weekend. Almost 20 percent of respondents said that, because of the consequences of the war with Iran, they had themselves cancelled or rebooked a flight, or had had their flight cancelled by the airline.

According to Ploß, tourism in Germany is to be promoted this year through various federal government initiatives, “for example by making working hours more flexible and increasing investment in the motorway and rail networks”. The government sees the sector as an important pillar of the economy.

More overnight stays in Germany

According to the Federal Statistical Office (source in German), the tourism industry in Germany already set a new record in 2025. There were 497.5 million overnight stays by guests last year. According to preliminary results, the number of overnight stays increased by 0.3 percent compared with the previous record year of 2024.

In December alone, accommodation providers recorded 32 million overnight stays, 3.6 percent more than in the same month a year earlier. This was the highest figure ever recorded for a December.

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