Israel programs suspended
IAN STALKER
Ongoing fighting in the Middle East has prompted tour operators that send clients to that part of the world to quickly alter their programs and all to keep a watchful eye on events for a possible further spread of violence in the region.
Fighting between the Israeli military and Hamas has been raging since early October and has left thousands of people dead and many governments and international bodies calling for a halt to the violence, all to no avail.
Among tour operators that have large Middle East programs is GMTours, with its president Sally Mikhail saying her company is continuing to send people to nearby destinations that haven’t seen any of the fighting.
“We have groups in Cairo and travelling to Jordan after,” she told Travel Courier. “They are safe and having a good time.”
But Mikhail acknowledged that a worsening situation could affect new Middle East bookings, although GMTours hasn’t yet seen any Egypt or Jordan cancellations. It suspended an Israel program. “We pray for peace and the Middle East,” Mikhail added.
Moira Smith of Goway Travel said that that tour operator has indefinitely suspended its Israel program, with refunds being made available to those who have booked trips to that country. “It certainly affects the leads coming in,” she said of the region.
Goway is also continuing to send people to Egypt and Jordan — both of which border Israel, while Egypt also borders Gaza — with Smith expressing confidence that both countries can be safely visited. “We’re constantly monitoring the situation,” Smith continued. “If there was any danger, we would pull those destinations.”
Tom Smith, VP of sales and marketing for North America at Intrepid Travel, noted Intrepid quickly adjusted its Middle East program. “Trips in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are paused for the remainder of the year,” he reported. “With the conflict continuing to escalate, Intrepid believes extending the suspension through to the end of the year will provide customers with upcoming trips booked with greater certainty and more ability to make alternative travel plans. Tour departures in neighbouring Egypt and Jordan continue as scheduled however, the travel advisory for Egypt remains high. We will continue to monitor the situation closely based on travel advisories and heed the advice of our NGO partners and ground staff there.
“We’re naturally seeing some increase in cancellations in the Middle East due to safety concerns. In response, we have relaxed our terms and conditions to accommodate affected customers, which has been well received. Intrepid will continue to make any necessary adjustments to tours, for the safety of our travellers. The latest information can be found on Intrepid’s Travel Alerts page.”
Meanwhile, World Expeditions said in a statement that it is “deeply saddened by events in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and our thoughts are very much with those impacted by this escalation and the events that preceded it. We no longer have travellers in the vicinity and have suspended our trips to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories until 1 January 2024. Our trips in Jordan and Egypt are operational with accounts from our local teams of calm, with life proceeding as normal, unaffected by these events. We will continue to monitor the situation in the region more widely, and always, the safety of our travellers is foremost in our planning and will not be compromised. Please do not hesitate to contact World Expeditions or your travel agent with any questions regarding forthcoming travel, we are here to assist you and provide any necessary support.”
