With the Middle East conflict disrupting travel plans, South Africans are choosing to travel to destinations closer to home, with agents noticing an increase in demand for Indian Ocean islands such as Mauritius, Seychelles and Réunion.
According to a recent Travel News poll, nearly 50% of travel agents said they were seeing enquiries shift to Mauritius and Seychelles in light of the Middle East conflict.
“Indian Ocean island escapes offer quick, direct flights, making them a logical shift for holiday queries. I am seeing many quote requests for Mauritius and Zanzibar,” said Hope Kistan from Journeys With Hope.
Chantelle Pearson, Island Specialist from Travel 2 Réunion, said they had noticed a shift towards Réunion. “Travellers are actively looking for alternative destinations that offer both safety and unique experiences, and Réunion is increasingly meeting that demand.”
Demand has jumped for Seychelles, Mauritius and Zanzibar, according to Flora Fubbs, Operations and Marketing Director from The Holiday Factory. “It's a very good alternative and, of course, easy access, no need to fly north of the Equator, and there are direct flights. We definitely saw a last-minute pick-up, especially for the school holidays for all three of these destinations,” said Fubbs.
The safe option
“Indian Ocean destinations are safe, stable, and attractive options. With ongoing uncertainty in certain regions, travellers are prioritising destinations that offer political stability, strong infrastructure, and a secure environment, while still delivering on natural beauty, adventure, and authentic cultural experiences,” said Pearson.
Although she hasn’t seen a significant rise in demand for the Indian Ocean islands, Lianne Barnard, Founder of Wander World Travel, has had clients shift their plans from destinations like Egypt to opt for an island instead.
Impact on availability
As demand rises, agents anticipate this will impact prices and availability.
“Hotel prices will likely go up. Just as petrol and flight prices have increased, it is going to impact everything. I have definitely noticed that prices have escalated,” said Kistan.
“Flights and accommodation are booking up more quickly, so we recommend securing arrangements in advance to ensure the best options and availability. Flexibility remains important, and we continue to guide clients on suitable travel insurance and adaptable booking options where possible,” said Pearson.
Zainab Mohammed from Dream Travel ZA, said the tour operators they worked with had seat allocations to secure availability and pricing. “If booked early in advance, we can still try and offer better airfares together with the accommodation and transfers, making it an affordable package.”
However, Fubbs said they had not experienced any availability challenges yet. “We don't really have availability challenges because a lot of European travellers are not able to travel to these destinations. We were meant to attend an event in Zanzibar, which has been delayed because most European clients can't get to the island. Availability is not a problem, even if South Africans surge into those destinations.”
Other destinations
South Africans are also shifting their focus to other Southern African destinations, with Victoria Falls becoming very popular for a three- or four-night quick getaway, according to Mohammed.
Barnard said she was promoting other close to home destinations. “I have seen some increase into Namibia,Botswana and even Mozambique recently.”
Despite the setbacks, she noted that, unlike Covid, travel was still possible and agents could adapt accordingly. “A lot of agents are comparing what is happening to Covid, but I think we tend to overthink these things. Everyone is still able to travel, we just need to get a little more creative as to how and where they are traveling. Once the shock of what is happening has worn off, I am sure we will all thrive with a new normal,” said Barnard.
