The Travel Industry Council said on Monday that it was hard to estimate how many travellers had been affected by the war on Iran as the Airport Authority said it had caused 13 more flight cancellations on Monday thus far.

A flight had also been delayed due to the conflict in the Middle East as of 10.45am.

Twelve flights were cancelled on Sunday.

A travel agency, WWPKG, said it had cancelled tours to the region until March 10 due to safety concerns.

Its chief executive, Yuen Chun-ning, said around 20 travellers in two tour groups in Dubai were originally due to return on Wednesday. But because the airspace in parts of the region has been closed, his firm has arranged for them to stay in hotels.

"Governments in the region have appealed to residents not to go out. Some tourist hotspots have been closed, some are still in operation. But we have urged our customers not to go out," Yuen said on a Commercial Radio programme.

"Of course, they were a bit sad and disappointed, but safety comes first above all else."

With the Easter Holidays approaching, he said, there have been more customers enquiring about joining tour groups.

Yuen said tours would be cancelled if there were no flights and the Security Bureau's red travel alert to the region was still in place. His firm will try and see what it can do if customers want to change their tour bookings and go to other places.

The Travel Industry Council said it was hard to determine the exact number of Hong Kong travellers affected by the attacks on Iran because the region was a popular transit hub.

But it added that it was able to confirm that all tourists were safe.

The Education Bureau said exchange tours by 40 pupils and five teachers to Dubai organised by three primary schools had recently returned safely.

A group from a secondary school had planned to transit in Dubai on the way to another region for an exchange trip, but it will rebook tickets to fly elsewhere.

The Football Association of Hong Kong, China said the SAR women's football team, in Dubai playing in the Pink Ladies Cup, were safe and training in the gym at their hotel.

The association has been in close liaison with the SAR administration and will arrange for the team's return as as soon as possible.


Edited by Edmond Fong