Swedish travel bookings rise despite Middle East conflict

Swedes continue to book holidays at higher rates despite ongoing unrest in the Middle East, though some destinations have seen sharp declines, reports public broadcaster SVT.

Ticket, a major Swedish travel agency, recorded a 7 percent increase in bookings between March 1 and April 19 compared to the same period last year. Demand had initially stalled after the outbreak of war but has since rebounded, according to Jimmy Bergflod, store manager at Ticket’s Stockholm location.

“People still want to travel, but there’s uncertainty about where the conflict might spread,” Bergflod said.

The agency noted a 52 percent drop in bookings to Cyprus following a drone attack on a British military base there on March 2. The incident, claimed by Iran-backed forces, prompted Britain, France, and Greece to deploy naval assets to the island. Charter operator Ving confirmed a slower recovery in Cyprus bookings compared to other Mediterranean destinations.

Instead, travellers are opting for Western Europe. “They’re choosing destinations farther from the Middle East—mainly Spain, Italy, France, the UK, and Portugal,” Bergflod explained. Bookings to Lisbon have doubled year-on-year.

Top 10 summer 2026 destinations (2025 ranking in parentheses):
1. Malaga (2)
2. Alicante (1)
3. Mallorca (6)
4. Nice (5)
5. London (9)
6. Lisbon (new entry)
7. Split (3)
8. Barcelona (4)
9. Crete (9)
10. Rome (7)