Kolkata: Tour operators and travel agents are urging clients to avoid travelling west this Durga Puja and winter and instead look at destinations in Southeast Asia, the Far East and Australia.The advice stems from the unprecedented situation that many westbound travellers found themselves in last week, when several hundred flights from Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi were cancelled, leaving passengers stranded in these hubs for 48-72 hours. With no direct flights to Europe or America from Kolkata, Gulf carriers offered the most convenient connection to the west. But the chaos following the closure of airspace after Iran launched a missile attack against a US airbase in Qatar forced the travel trade community to rethink itineraries for clients during the ensuing holidays.“Unless my clients insist on travelling to Europe or the US, I will advise them to explore Southeast Asia, Japan-Korea and Australia-New Zealand. There is a lot to see in this part of the world. Though normal flights have resumed in the Gulf, the disruptions over the Israel-Palestine conflict since Oct 2023 and the larger one this June due to the hostilities between Israel and the US on one side and Iran on the other have rattled us,” said Travel Agents Federation of India national executive committee member Anil Punjabi.Preliminary trends show seven out of 10 customers prefer to travel eastward rather than to the Gulf or beyond. Some are wary of the situation escalating again. With the Russia-Ukraine war showing no sign of ceasefire despite US president Donald Trump’s intervention, many feel avoiding the region until stability returns may be the best call for this Durga Puja and winter.Travel Agents Association of India national executive committee member Manav Soni said travel to the peaceful east could be a better bet. “Other factors, such as lower costs and visa waiver by countries in Southeast Asia, offer ease of travel. But the foremost factor is the assurance of safety,” Soni said. “One can take risks while travelling for work or meeting families and friends. But families don’t want uncertainty on vacations.” Punjabi also said for Southeast Asia countries, where a visa was required, the processing time was much less.