Middle East travel caution voiced as Israel-Lebanon hostilities continue

The head of the Business Travel Association has sounded a note of caution over relaxed Middle East travel rules as hostilities continued between Israel and Lebanon.

Clive Wratten, chief executive of the organisation, spoke out after at least 18 people were reported to have been killed following overnight Israeli air strikes on 80 targets which also claimed the lives of four of its soldiers.

It came a day after the US and Iran signed an agreement aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East, including a permanent ending of military action in Lebanon.

However, both Israel and Hezbollah have carried out strikes against each other since the agreement was announced and after the Foreign Office relaxed its travel guidance to Gulf destinations.

Wratten said: "The FCDO’s decision yesterday to lift travel restrictions for key Gulf markets was the right call.

“However, this morning’s developments in Lebanon are a stark reminder of how quickly the landscape can change.

"For UK business travel, the stakes are high. The BTA managed over five million outbound trips in 2025. With nearly 2.4% landing in the Gulf and almost half using it to connect onward to Asia, Africa, and the Pacific.

"These travellers are engineers, maritime crew, and energy workers - essential UK expertise deployed globally.

“While traveller safety is paramount, safety and nuance are not mutually exclusive. Blanket advisories ground essential personnel and put major contracts at risk.”

He added: "We need the government to act agilely, engage with the industry, and ensure future advisories remain targeted. Yesterday’s update was welcome, but today proves this work is never finished. "