"People who are heading off on their vacations are certainly concerned about what the situation will be like at their destination in connection with the armed conflict in the Middle East. But at the moment, we're not seeing any major cause for alarm. People are actually being reasonable. Those whose trips to the United Arab Emirates were canceled have already switched to other destinations, such as Egypt or the Canary Islands," Olev Riisberg, head of marketing and communications at Novatours, told ERR.

"When we talk about the United Arab Emirates and the Dubai route, we were already at the end of the season and the final flight of the season was scheduled for March 2. Unfortunately, those who were due to fly on that date are now unable to do so. There were fewer than 30 people. They replaced their trips with something else," he added.

According to Riisberg, people are currently somewhat hesitant about traveling to Egypt, even though the armed conflict has not affected the country and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not changed its risk assessment for Egypt.

Riisberg said he does not believe the current events in the Middle East will drive up travel prices.

"I don't expect any significant price changes. At the moment, our primary concern is for those passengers who have been left in Dubai and we are doing everything we can to ensure they return home quickly and safely," he said.

Rista Koit, a member of the management board of travel agency Go Travel, explained that in the current situation Go Travel mainly acts as a reseller and operates in accordance with the terms and instructions of its partners — the tour operators — while also following official recommendations and information issued by the ministry.

"As of now, tour operators, including Novatours, Coral Travel and others, have not provided any information about changes to or cancellations of trips to Egypt. Nor have we observed a higher-than-usual number of cancellations for Turkey or Cyprus. To our knowledge, clients have not abandoned trips planned to those destinations in recent days," Koit said.

Koit noted that, more than other destinations, people tend to associate the Middle East region with travel to Egypt, but emphasized that the conflict zone is in fact thousands of kilometers away from Egypt's resort areas. "Unless the situation expands significantly, there are currently no signs that it will affect Egypt's tourism regions," she said.

"Overall, the mood among clients is calm. Most inquiries concern the safety of destinations and any potential changes related to their trips," Koit added.

Aili Kägu, a member of the management board of travel agency Wris, was more reserved in her comments and did not say whether the situation has led to cancellations or whether there is reason to forecast them.

"In connection with developments in the Middle East, we are dealing with urgent day-to-day issues. We are responding to clients' calls and monitoring information provided by airlines and the foreign ministry. In line with airlines' instructions and possibilities, we are rebooking flight tickets. Clients are generally calm and waiting. Armed conflict of course affects tourism, but at this point we are not making any long-term forecasts. We hope the fighting does not escalate," she said.

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