RIU Hotels & Resorts has warned that geopolitical tensions and growing economic uncertainty are beginning to slow future travel bookings, even as summer demand for Spain remains broadly resilient.
The Spanish hotel group said reservations for the current summer season are performing at levels similar to last year, with some European source markets still showing growth. However, the company said new bookings for future travel periods are declining sharply compared with 2025.
According to comments published by Spanish tourism trade publication Preferente, RIU Hotels & Resorts said the trend suggests that war and global instability are starting to weigh on traveller confidence across Europe.
The company said bookings from Spain for this summer are up by almost 10%, while demand from Germany and Belgium remains stable. Poland and Luxembourg are also continuing to perform strongly.
However, bookings from the United Kingdom have dropped by nearly 10%, highlighting softer demand from one of Spain’s largest outbound tourism markets.
RIU Hotels & Resorts said that while immediate summer bookings are still holding up, the outlook changes significantly when looking at future reservations without fixed travel dates.
The company described the decline in forward bookings as “sharp” compared with the same stage in 2025, adding that the impact of conflict and uncertainty is now affecting customer behaviour even when destinations are considered safe.
The warning reflects broader concerns emerging across the European travel industry in 2026. Major tourism groups including TUI and Meliá Hotels International have also reported changes in booking patterns linked to geopolitical instability and economic worries.
TUI, Europe’s largest travel operator, recently reported weaker summer booking momentum in the UK and Germany as travellers delayed decisions or switched destinations amid uncertainty linked to conflict in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Meliá Hotels International said Spain and Caribbean destinations had benefited from travellers moving away from areas perceived to be closer to conflict zones, although the company also warned that uncertainty could affect confidence later in the year.
Spain has remained one of Europe’s strongest tourism performers, helped by robust demand from domestic travellers and key European markets. The country has also benefited from holidaymakers switching away from some eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern destinations.
But RIU Hotels & Resorts said the latest figures show that the boost may not be guaranteed if consumers become more cautious about spending or delay holiday decisions.
The warning is significant because Spain depends heavily on international tourism, particularly from markets such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium and the Nordic countries.
For hotel groups, weaker forward bookings can affect pricing, staffing and capacity planning. It can also make revenue management more difficult if travellers wait longer before committing to trips.
Travel companies have increasingly said that confidence, not only price, is becoming a key factor in booking behaviour. Even destinations considered safe can be affected when wider uncertainty makes customers more cautious.
RIU Hotels & Resorts said the contrast between solid summer reservations and weaker future demand points to a more cautious outlook for the months ahead.
The company’s comments suggest that Europe’s travel sector may be entering a period in which geopolitical shocks have a stronger influence on booking cycles than usual seasonal demand patterns.
