Forget the Middle East: Aussies are flocking to these safe-haven destinations instead

Australians are still choosing to travel abroad as geopolitical tensions disrupt major aviation routes and close airspace in parts of the Middle East.

Fiji, Sri Lanka and Asian destinations like Bangkok and Vietnam are at the top of Aussie travel wish lists, according to experts.

Travel agents say demand for overseas holidays remains strong - particularly for destinations closer to Australia, despite global uncertainty.

Savvy Travellers general manager Lynton Jones told Explore the company was seeing strong demand for trips to Fiji, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

"Long-haul destinations such as the US West Coast and Hawaii are also very popular for the July school holidays," he said.

"Sri Lanka is an easy option for Australians, with most people flying into Colombo on direct routes. The Maldives can be reached via Sri Lanka or Singapore."

Europe also remains on many travellers' wish lists, with flights increasingly routed through Asia rather than the Middle East.

Anna McMurtrie from Wentworth Travel said destinations such as Bangkok, Malaysia and Japan remained as popular as ever.

"I don't see disruption in the Middle East deterring too many people at this stage, which is great," she said.

"Obviously there is still a lot of unknown - we don't know how long it will go for."

She said travellers who had planned holidays in the Middle East might consider alternative destinations.

"If people were planning to go to the Middle East for relaxation, Fiji is a great replacement," she said.

"If they were travelling to somewhere like Abu Dhabi for the city experience, I would think about somewhere like Bangkok. I love Bangkok - it's a fascinating destination."

For travellers wanting scenic landscapes and outdoor experiences, she said New Zealand was also an excellent option.

"If you want touring and beautiful landscapes, New Zealand should definitely be on the list."

Daniel Gschwind, professor of practice at the Griffith Institute for Tourism, said periods of global uncertainty often encourage travellers to holiday closer to home.

"During COVID people couldn't travel, but they were also less inclined to travel long distances," he said.

"What we saw was the destination itself becoming the focus of travel planning."

Places such as the Gold Coast, the Whitsundays and Cairns experienced a surge in popularity, along with regional areas within driving distance of major cities.

"The Scenic Rim in Queensland is a good example, but every capital city has nearby destinations like that," he said.

Professor Gschwind said images of stranded travellers during international disruptions could also influence people's decisions.

"The reverberations of these events can last for quite some time," he said.

He also warned travellers could face greater financial risk when disruptions are linked to conflict.

"If a flight is disrupted because of technical problems or bad weather, you usually have recourse through insurance," he said.

CEO of Bunnik Tours, Dennis Bunnik, said the current disruption was primarily due to airspace closures rather than safety concerns within the Middle East itself.

"It's mainly causing disruption to flights to Europe, which is where some of the anxiety is coming from," he said.

However, he stressed that most destinations remain open and operating normally.

"Countries such as Egypt and destinations across Europe are continuing as normal," he said.

Mr Bunnik advised travellers not to cancel their trips prematurely and to wait for airlines to make operational decisions.

"If you want to minimise the risk of disruption, consider travelling to South America, Asia, Japan, India or Vietnam," he said.

"Destinations in the Pacific or New Zealand are also unaffected, as those routes don't pass through Gulf airspace."

"For most travel destinations this is really an airspace issue rather than a safety issue."