Flight bookings to Middle East plunge during Israel-Hamas conflict, data shows

LONDON (Reuters) - Plane ticket purchases to Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon have plummeted since Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, according to travel analysis firm ForwardKeys, as the conflict's effects spill into the wider region.

The violence between Israel and Hamas triggered a wave of flight cancellations to Israel, with a number of global carriers saying they would no longer fly to the country for security reasons.

Tour operators cancelled trips to Israel and many hotels emptied soon after. But the instability has triggered a drop in travel across the region, data shows.

Tickets to travel to Egypt have decreased by 26% year-on-year, to Jordan by 49%, and to Lebanon by 74%, said Olivier Ponti, vice president of insights at ForwardKeys.

Some airlines, including Lufthansa, Eurowings and Swiss Air, suspended flights to Lebanon in mid-October.

Destinations like Petra in Jordan and Egypt's Red Sea resorts have long been popular with tourists, who at times travel to Israel and these locations as part of packaged tours.

Tickets for future trips to Israel dropped by 187% between Oct. 7 and Oct. 19 compared to the same period last year, the data showed.

"Such a drastic reduction in travel demand is entirely anticipated, given the scale of the conflict and the ongoing humanitarian crisis," Ponti added.