The Skift Travel Health Index stood at 99 in July, down 1% year-on-year. But the regional picture was more uneven: the Middle East and Africa alone swung from a full recovery in June to a sharp pullback in July.
After recovering to the benchmark level of 100 in June, the Middle East and Africa fell back to 94. This reversal was caused by renewed security concerns, travel advisories and flight suspensions, which added pressure to a market that had already been showing signs of weakness. The result was a weakening in traveler confidence, making it difficult to convert interest in travel into actual bookings.
Vacation rentals was the only sector in the region that performed above the benchmark, gaining 14% compared to the same month last year.
Skift reported this week on the potential lost year for Gulf tourism.
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