Tens of thousands of people on trips organised by German travel agencies have been affected by the war that has erupted in the Middle East, a leading trade group has said.

Figures from the German Travel Association indicate that around 30,000 tourists are currently unable to fly home as hostilities continue. Several countries in the region have closed their airspace, and many airlines have suspended flights to and from the affected areas.

Travellers in impacted locations have been advised to follow safety instructions issued by the German Foreign Ministry, as well as guidance from local authorities.

Dertour, Germany’s second-largest tour operator, said in a statement that “guests who are currently unable to fly home or are waiting for a connecting flight due to airspace closures have been informed by us and are being looked after on site.”

“We will inform our guests on site about return journeys as soon as these are possible again and will accompany our guests on their transfer journeys,” the company said, adding that it has set up a crisis hotline.

The operator has cancelled all trips to the eight countries affected by the conflict until at least Thursday.

A spokesperson for the German Defence Ministry said on Monday that deploying military aircraft to evacuate German nationals stranded in the Middle East would be considered only as a last resort, after all efforts to arrange departures through commercial operators have been exhausted.