The US-Israel attack on Iran has seen travel to the Middle East plummet, with early estimates putting the cost to the tourism sector at €515 million a day.
While the ceasefire in April saw some tourists return to the region, and we expect the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the US this week will also have an impact, there is still one major barrier to travel: Insurance.
Foreign offices across the globe issue travel advisories based on things like civil unrest, war and terrorism, and travelling to a country against this advice can invalidate your travel insurance completely.
At the time of writing, while the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has downgraded its travel advisory for many destinations in the Middle Eastern and Gulf regions, countries including France and Germany still advise against all but essential travel.
Two Gulf carriers have come up with a clever way to get around the issue by offering their own travel insurance.
How it works
Etihad Airways, which is based out of the UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi, is offering free medical travel insurance.
Available from July until December 2026, the coverage is valid for up to 15 days in the UAE for all international visitors arriving on Etihad-operated flights. The insurance is also available for those staying through the airline’s stopover programme.
Emirates, which is based out of Dubai, is offering comprehensive travel cover for an additional fee on any flights booked through emirates.com.
The insurance will mean that you will be rebooked onto another airline for free if there is a conflict-related cancellation, and you could get up to a 30-day trip extension should you be unable to leave. Conflict-related medical expenses of up to US$25,000 (€21,800) are also covered.
Emirates’ travel cover also has standard inclusions like trip cancellation cover and compensation for baggage delay or loss.