The international tourist demand directed at the Arab Gulf countries is showing an increasing capacity for resilience and adaptation in the face of the geopolitical uncertainty generated by the conflict between Iran and the United States, which began at the beginning of the year, according to the records of Data Appeal Mabrian.
The study explains that, although the military escalation last February caused an immediate deterioration of the Security Perception Index (PSI) and a sharp decline in international hotel overnight stays, over the months travelers have been moderating their reaction to the new waves of tension.
Thus, the breaking of the ceasefire that occurred on July 8 had a clearly more limited effect on tourist demand than the first spike of the conflict.
The analysis broken down by destinations indicates that countries like Bahrain and Kuwait recorded the most pronounced declines in security perception, mainly due to their high exposure to regional instability, while the impact in Oman was mainly related to its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz.
In contrast, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and, in particular, the United Arab Emirates showed faster and more sustained hotel demand recovery processes during the phases of greater calm.
In the context of the global tourist market, the share of searches oriented towards Western Asia for the autumn-winter season of 2026 and the start of 2027 reaches 9.4% of international travel intention.
The Marketing and Communication Director of The Data Appeal Company, Carlos Cendra, has highlighted that the robust air connectivity and the high degree of tourist development of the main Gulf hubs position the region as a strategic corridor to channel global tourist flows, as long as there are no prolonged disruptions in the infrastructure or services.