Middle East travel industry responds to new US tariffs

Tourism industry stakeholders are cautiously assessing the long-term impact of the new tariffs announced by US president Trump on regional travel flows, corporate spending and outbound demand in the Middle East for the US.

“It is too early to say, but any uncertainty causes businesses to become a little bit more conservative in what they are doing. Anything which leads to a barrier to business can have an impact on business travel spend or where business spend is going,” said Catherine Logan, regional senior vice president for EMEA and APAC at the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

Trump issued an executive order in April 2025, imposing a 10 per cent customs duty on goods imported into the US from all countries, with higher duties on imports from specific countries. Middle Eastern countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia will face a 10 per cent tariff,…