Demand for holidays to the Caribbean has boomed since the Iran war began as British tourists look for alternative luxury destinations away from the Middle East.
Overall searches for trips to the region have jumped by 81 per cent in the first two weeks of March compared to the prior fortnight, according to TravelSupermarket.
Travellers are rearranging plans after six million people going to or from the Middle East have had flights axed since the conflict began on February 28. Some 63,265 out of 118,642 scheduled services to or from airports in the region have been cancelled.
The war has also narrowed the corridor for long-haul flights between Europe and Asia and hiked the price of jet fuel amid concerns over longer-term impact on prices.
Now, Brits who might have travelled to high-end destinations such as Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi for their holidays are now looking at alternatives in the Caribbean.
Experts said some tourists are also considering switching countries within the Caribbean, trying out areas which have been traditionally less popular with Brits.
The Turks and Caicos Islands were found to have seen the biggest boost in interest since the conflict started with share of Caribbean searches surging by 119 per cent.
The Dominican Republic was second with its search share up 100 per cent, while Tobago was third with a 79 per cent rise and St Lucia was in fourth up 55 per cent.
The Turks and Caicos Islands has seen the biggest boost in interest since the Iran war started
The Dominican Republic has also seen a big boost in interest from Brits since the war began
Antigua’s share rose 53 per cent, Jamaica was up 49 per cent and Aruba increased 42 per cent; while Barbados and the Bahamas were both up 23 per cent.
Chris Webber, head of holidays and deals at TravelSupermarket, said today: ‘When global events change holiday plans, we tend to see travellers pivot quickly.
‘The Caribbean is a natural beneficiary. What’s striking here isn’t just the overall jump in searches, but how broadly that interest is spread.
‘Destinations like Turks and Caicos and Tobago aren’t typically where British holidaymakers look first, so to see them surging suggests people are still keen to try somewhere new.’
The research analysed all searches on TravelSupermarket.com over the two weeks from March 2 to 15, compared to the previous fortnight.
British Airways Holidays has also seen a boost for the Caribbean, with Barbados searches up 46 per cent and Antigua up 63 per cent versus the same time last year.
BA last week announced an expansion of its Caribbean routes for this winter – including a new daily London Gatwick to Barbados service from October 25.
The Al Seef market in one of the main tourist areas of Dubai is mostly empty on March 13
An Emirates plane prepares to land at Dubai Airport on March 16 following a drone strike
There will also be a standalone daily St Lucia service from the same date as well as increased flights from Gatwick to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
It comes as former BA boss Willie Walsh warned last week that air fares are soaring as the crisis engulfing airlines sparked by the Iran war is ‘akin to post-9/11’.
Mr Walsh, now boss of industry body the International Air Transport Association, said tickets on US-UK transatlantic flights would be the worst and quickest hit.
He said that while bookings were holding up, travellers are opting more for Western and Southern Europe and North Africa rather than eastern European destinations such as Cyprus or Turkey, which are closer to the conflict.
Airline bosses have warned soaring fuel prices sparked by the Iran war could be passed onto families looking to get away this summer if the conflict drags on.
Demand has been dropping from UK holidaymakers for getaways to the likes of Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt since the US-Israeli war on Iran began.
But bookings are up for Portugal, Italy and Spain as well as longer-haul trips to the Caribbean as well as the US, Cape Verde, Mauritius, Thailand and India.
Top picks for Caribbean holidays
Turks & Caicos
Seven nights, at the 3.5* Ports of Call Resort, from £1589pp, travelling on selected dates between September 1 to September 30, 2026 inclusive. Includes economy return flights from London Heathrow, one checked bag at 23kg per person and accommodation with breakfast.
Dominican Republic
Seven nights, at the 4.5* Iberostar Waves Dominicana, from £1299pp, travelling on selected dates between September 1 to September 30, 2026 inclusive. Includes economy return flights from London Gatwick, one checked bag at 23kg per person and accommodation on all-inclusive board basis.
Tobago
Seven nights, at the 3* Comfort Inn & Suites Tobago, from £989pp, travelling on selected dates between November 1 to November 30, 2026 inclusive. Includes economy return flights from London Gatwick, one checked bag at 23kg per person and accommodation with breakfast.
Prices from British Airways Holidays are correct at the time of submission and are based on 2 people sharing. ‘Book by’ dates are supplied based on the availability of the package price at the time of submission, these are subject to availability.
