The war in Iran has significantly affected where Slovaks are choosing to travel. Although overall interest in flight tickets remains high, the number of reservations to riskier destinations has dropped by tens of percent, according to data from the airline ticket search and booking platform Kiwi.
For security reasons, the Foreign Ministry has recommended against travelling to countries in the Middle East, or at least to certain regions.
For example, Egypt and Cyprus have traditionally been popular holiday destinations for Slovaks thanks to their proximity, good prices and, until recently, perceived safety. According to the data, interest in flights to Egypt has fallen by more than a third YoY. By contrast, bookings to Turkey – for which the ministry advises travellers to carefully consider the necessity of travel – have decreased by only 3%.
And although there are currently no travel warnings regarding Cyprus, interest in flights to the island has dropped significantly, by 42%.
“Although it is still early for Cyprus bookings at this time of year, the drop is clearly visible, especially after last year’s strong increase in interest during the summer season,” Kiwi spokesperson Daniela Chovancova said.
Holidaymakers’ interest has shifted to safer destinations. One example is Thailand, where the number of flight bookings has increased by more than 86% compared with last year.
Within mainland Europe, reservations to Italy have risen by more than 35% since the outbreak of the conflict, while tickets to Spain have increased by about 20%. Bookings to Poland have surged by 196%, to Germany by 115% and to the Netherlands by as much as 140%.
Families with children also appear to be particularly sensitive to the situation. While in 2025 there were an average of 3.1 passengers per reservation at this time of year, the figure has now dropped to just 1.7 people, suggesting that trips are currently being booked more often by individuals, according to Chovancova.
Travel agencies are also recording increased interest in European destinations. Current booking trends indicate that mainland Europe will dominate the summer season, particularly Spain, Bulgaria, Croatia and Greece.
According to Jan Bezdek, head of communications and PR at the DER Touristik travel agency – which includes the Fischer and Kartago Tours brands in Slovakia – people are closely following the situation, but there has not yet been a noticeable shift in preferences or cancellations of tours.
Tomas Lazarov, sales director of Hydrotour, said the travel agency had observed only a slight increase in requests for additional travel information, which he described as a natural reaction. (The Slovak Spectator)