Travel agencies (Acave) are concerned about the tension with the US.
Immigration controls and ICE policy cause a "drastic" drop in Spaniards' interest in the United States
Geopolitical tensions are among the concerns of tourism professionals at the Fitur tourism fair, which is being held this week in Madrid. Jordi Martí, director of the Corporate Association of Specialized Travel Agencies (ACAVE), has warned of the risks the current geopolitical situation poses to travel. As a direct consequence of this situation, outbound tourism to the United States has fallen "drastically," which Martí attributes to the negative perception many travelers have of the policies of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the increase in border controls. Martí stated that agencies are worried about "the turbulent international scenario," which is causing "instability in relations between the United States and Europe." Given this situation, "travelers are opting for other routes, such as Asia, which is positioning itself as the main alternative and capturing the demand lost to North America," he asserted. A 5% increase in bookings
Despite the current situation, travel agencies anticipate a 5% increase in bookings for the 2026 season, according to the results of the annual survey presented this Thursday by the Corporate Association of Specialized Travel Agencies (Acave). Martí described these figures as "good prospects," even though the sector is approaching the year with caution given the "unstable" international landscape. However, according to Acave, the factors that will most influence customers' final decisions when booking their vacations will continue to be the safety of the destination and the price of the trips. By geographic region, Asia will be the continent with the greatest increase in demand, driven notably by interest in countries such as China, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand, followed by Europe, with significant growth in Central and Eastern Europe. North America will show the opposite trend. Finally, the survey identifies a number of "undiscovered" destinations for 2026 in countries such as Angola, Central America, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Bhutan, and Zambia, including options like Socotra Island in Yemen.