Transiting through mainland China for long-haul destinations from Hong Kong has become an alternative to stopping off in the Middle East amid safety concerns brought about by the US-Israel war on Iran, the city’s travel agents have said.

Alex Lee Chun-ting, general manager of Miramar Travel, told the South China Morning Post that the war in the Middle East had initially reduced interest in long-haul tours to Europe in summer, but he now expected a 3 per cent increase year on year.

Lee said safety concerns over flying through the Middle East and pricier airfares had made residents hesitant to travel, with many forgoing routes via the Gulf region and opting for direct long-haul flights, pushing up demand and prices.

“[Some mainland airlines] noticed this trend, too, and offered us group discounts for tours departing from Hong Kong, with stopovers in Shanghai or Beijing before heading to Europe,” Lee said, adding that this had absorbed some of the demand for Middle Eastern airlines.

Lee acknowledged that the alternative mainland route was unexpected and had emerged because of the war, as Hong Kong travellers increasingly became open to services from across the border due to improvements in airlines and airports.

For those headed to London – one of the most popular destinations for Hongkongers – Lee observed that economy flights transiting through the mainland were on average HK$1,000 to HK$2,000 (US$127 to US$255) cheaper than direct services from Hong Kong for the peak summer travel season, exclusive of fuel surcharges and taxes.

Carmen Chan Hiu-nam, Goldjoy Holidays’ chief operating officer, said about 50 per cent of its European tour customers opted to press on with their trips transiting via the mainland in March and April – a figure she considered low.