The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the escalation in the Middle East, a border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, and further crises in Africa, Asia, and Latin America: the global situation appears more tense than ever before.
So what does this mean for the travel industry? For Swiss tour operators and long-haul specialists, crisis management has become as central to the business as selling dream destinations — yet demand for travel remains strong despite geopolitical turmoil.
Security management as a core task
All five companies emphasize that they systematically monitor crises. Sonja Ptassek, Corporate Communications at TUI Suisse, explains: «The TUI Group has a professional security management system. TUI Crisis Management monitors all destinations worldwide around the clock. An automatic warning system alerts our Crisis Management in the event of political unrest, natural disasters, strikes, or epidemics.»
Dertour Suisse also emphasizes the speed of its internal alert chains. Head of Communications Stephan Kurmann says: «Thanks to the updates from the crisis management team, I usually know where things are going wrong, where there are conflicts, or where airspace is closed before it appears in the media or on social media.»
The Hotelplan Group emphasizes its proximity to local partners. Communications Manager Sara Vidal explains: «We are also in close contact with our partner companies and local tour guides, who continuously provide us with up-to-date assessments of the situation and who also visit our specialists in person to gain their own insight.»
«Our destinations are managed by specialized teams who deal with developments in their regions on a daily basis,» says Peter Greber, Deputy Managing Director of the long-haul travel specialist Travel Worldwide. «Their interest is not only professional, but often also personal, so we are always very close to the events and can assess the situation realistically.» He adds: «We don’t rely on general media reports, but instead obtain specific information from our local partners, official authorities, local contacts, and Swiss tour operators. In addition, our employees regularly travel on fact-finding trips and can thus contribute and share firsthand impressions and assessments.»
Globetrotter takes a more succinct approach. «We are keeping an eye on the situation,» spokesperson Sandra Studer said coolly. Behind the understatement, however, lies a pragmatic model: maintaining close contact with local agents, supported by guidance from the EDA.
Security management as a core task
All five companies emphasize that they systematically monitor crises. Sonja Ptassek , Corporate Communications at TUI Suisse, explains: «The TUI Group has a professional security management system. TUI Crisis Management monitors all destinations worldwide around the clock. An automatic warning system alerts our Crisis Management in the event of political unrest, natural disasters, strikes, or epidemics.»
Dertour Suisse also emphasizes the speed of its internal alert chains. Head of Communications Stephan Kurmann says: «Thanks to the updates from the crisis management team, I usually know where things are going wrong, where there are conflicts, or where airspace is closed before it appears in the media or on social media.»
The Hotelplan Group emphasizes its proximity to local partners. Communications Manager Sara Vidal explains: «We are also in close contact with our partner companies and local tour guides, who continuously provide us with up-to-date assessments of the situation and who also visit our specialists in person to gain their own insight.»
«Our destinations are managed by specialized teams who deal with developments in their regions on a daily basis,» says Peter Greber , Deputy Managing Director of the long-haul travel specialist Travel Worldwide. «Their interest is not only professional, but often also personal, so we are always very close to the events and can assess the situation realistically.» He adds: «We don’t rely on general media reports, but instead obtain specific information from our local partners, official authorities, local contacts, and Swiss tour operators. In addition, our employees regularly travel on fact-finding trips and can thus contribute and share firsthand impressions and assessments.»
Globetrotter takes a more succinct approach. «We are keeping an eye on the situation,» spokesperson Sandra Studer said coolly. Behind the understatement, however, lies a pragmatic model: maintaining close contact with local agents, supported by guidance from the EDA.
Impact on demand – only occasional dampeners
The assessment of the impact on the 2025 travel year is exciting. While Dertour soberly states: «Conflicts are generally bad for tourism,» TUI emphasizes the stability of the market: «Travel remains of great importance to many people. Regional events can lead to a short-term decline in demand in the affected areas. However, this demand usually shifts to other destinations.»
Hotelplan sees growing uncertainty, but also new opportunities: «Security, personal attention, and good service have become more important. Many people are therefore consciously choosing to book through a travel agency.»
Globetrotter says: «The world is big, and there are plenty of conflict-free countries to travel to. The desire to travel hasn’t diminished, but there are occasional shifts.»
The current geopolitical conflicts are influencing demand in the affected regions, Travel Worldwide admits. «However, our experience shows that Swiss travelers usually only react cautiously as long as a topic is present in the media. Moreover, they often switch to other, safer destinations.»
Thanks to its broad portfolio, Travel Worldwide has been able to cushion regional downturns. «We are seeing encouraging growth this year, despite significant losses in markets such as the U.S.,» said Peter Greber. He added that the company also hopes conditions in affected regions will stabilize soon — above all for the sake of local communities.
Conclusion: Professionalization instead of panic
The responses make clear that global conflicts present real challenges for tour operators and long-haul specialists. Yet many have built systems that allow them to manage crises professionally. The key differences lie not so much in how they assess risks, but in how tightly they organize information flows and the degree of personal support they provide.
For travelers, geopolitical uncertainty has not meant fewer trips but rather shifts in destination — away from crisis regions and toward safer alternatives. In such cases, the value of an experienced travel provider becomes clear.
