Travel stocks take a hit as the conflict with Iran drags on. Here are 3 to buy in the fall.

When the US and Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28, travel stocks lost more than $22.6 billion in combined market value in a single session. Dubai and Doha airports closed for days, more than 4,000 flights were cancelled, and oil rose from about $72 a barrel to well above $100. Since then, the sector has slowly hemorrhaged, with cruise lines, vacation operators and experiential travel companies suffering the kind of damage that seems permanent on the surface, but rarely is in practice.

A two-week ceasefire was announced on April 8 and travel stocks rebounded strongly. But history and business fundamentals suggest that the sell-off created a true entry point for long-term investors. Here are three names worth considering.

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Viking (NYSE: VIK) It’s not your grandfather’s cruise line. It is a premium, casino-free, destination-focused operator with a fleet spanning river, ocean and expedition cruises. By mid-February, before the conflict began, Viking had already sold 86% of its 2026 capacity and had almost $6 billion in advance bookings. The company posted a 62% return in 2025 and entered 2026 with 13% revenue growth.

Following the ceasefire announcement on April 7, shares rose 8.3% in a single session. Viking is not in the S&P 500but its foundations speak for themselves. The company plans to expand its fleet until 2034, and its Mediterranean and European river routes, the core of its business, are exactly the routes that benefit the most when geopolitical uncertainty fades.

Travel + Leisure (NYSE: TNL) is a vacation ownership company, not a cruise line or airline, making it an unconventional travel option. Its revenue comes primarily from members who have already committed to spending on vacations through ownership contracts, giving it a more resilient revenue base than a company that relies on discretionary travel planning. The board increased its quarterly dividend by 7% to $0.60 per share in mid-March 2026, even as the broader travel sector was in crisis.

Shares are in the S&P 500 and are trading near fair value estimates, with analysts projecting a consensus price target of $86.50. That implies a 14% increase over the next year. That recurring membership model is really different from the companies that were eliminated during the conflict, and should help the company weather the current turmoil.

Lindblad Expeditions (NASDAQ:LIND) It’s a pretty niche game here. It is an expedition cruise operator that takes small groups to Antarctica, the Galapagos, and remote corners of the Arctic on intimate, science-focused ships.

Insiders have been net buyers over the past 12 months, with analysts at Benchmark and Stifel maintaining Buy ratings with price targets in the $18 to $23 range. The risk here is that Lindblad serves a niche traveler who books expensive, long-term expeditions. In other words, demand can decline quickly if high-net-worth consumers get scared. But the company’s load factors were improving in the face of the conflict, and its main demographic of travelers tends to be more insulated from short-term economic shocks than the average tourist.

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Micah Zimmerman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions and recommends Viking. The Motley Fool recommends Lindblad Expeditions. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Travel stocks take a hit as the conflict with Iran drags on. Here are 3 to buy in the fall. was originally published by The Motley Fool