New ASATA survey reveals the impact of the Middle East crisis on travel costs, booking behaviour, and the value of the travel advisor
A new survey by the Association of Southern African Travel Agents and Advisors (ASATA) has found that the Middle East crisis is hitting South African travellers hard in the pocket, but not hard enough to stop them from travelling.
Conducted between 20 and 28 April 2026, the survey captured responses from travel agencies across South Africa, providing a detailed snapshot of conditions on the ground during one of the most operationally complex periods the industry has faced since COVID-19.
As global flight schedules fluctuate and capacity tightens, the cost of travel has risen sharply, driven by rising oil prices, limited availability and the need to reroute away from affected airspace. A combined 75% of travel agencies report their clients are facing price increases of between 10% and 50%.
Despite this financial pressure, outright cancellations remain low at just 10%. Instead, travellers are choosing to absorb the costs, reroute, or postpone their journeys.
To navigate this chaos and mitigate financial risk, travellers are abandoning DIY online bookings and leaning heavily on professional travel advisors. With 57% of clients worried about losing money on non-refundable bookings, the demand for flexibility has surged. Travellers are relying on the expertise of travel advisors to decode complex airline policies, secure highly flexible tickets, and ensure their investments are protected when schedules change.
“Booking behaviour has shifted significantly in response to the current uncertainty,” says Otto de Vries, CEO of ASATA. “We are seeing 36% of clients delaying their bookings until the very last minute to avoid sudden disruptions, while another 29% are booking much further in advance to secure scarce inventory. But what stands out most is that travellers no longer want to navigate this alone. They want a professional in their corner who can guarantee flexibility and provide a safety net.”
Key survey findings reveal a shift in consumer priorities:
- Cautious Optimism: 55% of travel advisors describe their clients as ‘cautiously optimistic’, with the majority still intending to travel for the upcoming holiday seasons.
- June/July Holiday Outlook: While 42% of agencies report that their clients still intend to travel this mid-year break, actual booking volumes are currently taking a hit. A third of agencies (33%) are seeing year-on-year booking declines, largely because 22% of clients are adopting a ‘wait-and-see’ approach before committing financially.
- Top Traveller Concerns: Clients are primarily worried about flight delays (79%), increased costs (77%), and losing money on non-refundable bookings (57%).
- Demand for Flexibility: Driven by these fears, 20% of clients are now actively demanding highly flexible fares or ‘Cancel for Any Reason’ insurance policies, regardless of the premium.
Recognising their critical role in this climate, 70% of South African travel agencies have updated or are actively reviewing their crisis communication and duty of care procedures to better protect their clients.
“No app or online booking platform can call an airline at midnight, fight for a refund, or redesign an itinerary in real time,” says De Vries. “Our members have been doing exactly that for weeks. This crisis has made one thing abundantly clear: in an uncertain world, the expertise and human judgement of a professional travel advisor is irreplaceable. With 57% worried about losing money on non-refundable bookings and prices up by as much as 50%, the stakes are too high to go it alone.”
