EES is an additional headache for Easter

The extent of the uncertainty currently facing the trade was summed up in the space of a few hours on Monday, when an unexpected and subsequently disputed social media post from President Trump raised hopes of progress in the Middle East and prompted a rally from financial markets.

The volatility of the situation – and of its main protagonists – means it is impossible to predict what will happen in the next few hours, let alone days and months, and that is a far-from-ideal scenario for an industry attempting to sell multiple future seasons as well as imminent travel periods.

As we report this week, expert analysts fear the current issues facing the trade around rebooking, availability and pricing will continue well beyond the Easter break. Yet as we have noted since the start of the conflict, there remain grounds for optimism for those not entirely reliant on travel to the Gulf region in the shape of robust underlying consumer demand.

Many in the industry will be approaching the Easter holidays with a degree of trepidation, not only due to the ongoing uncertainty created by the Iran war, but also as it marks the first major travel period since the introduction of the EU’s Entry/Exit System.

With issues at the US border also a concern, the trade will be desperate to avoid any coverage that could negatively impact desire to travel this year. The option remains for individual states to temporarily suspend the EES if queues get out of hand. Let’s hope that option is taken swiftly if needed.

Comment originally from Travel Weekly, March 26 edition