As the crisis in Gaza deepens, efforts to evacuate tourists from Israel have been heightened. On Monday, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship assisted in evacuating US nationals from Israel to Cyprus; meanwhile, US government charter flights continue operating out of Ben Gurion Airport (located near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem) to take American tourists home.
But while the current guidance says to postpone upcoming trips to Israel—and the threat of a ground invasion looms—what should travelers do about their travel plans to countries that border the conflict zones, like Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon?
After violence first erupted on October 7, the State Department issued a regional security alert throughout the Middle East on October 8, advising US citizens in certain countries to take caution. “Individuals should follow local government advice to increase their security awareness, avoid areas around demonstrations, and check local media for updates and traffic advisories,” the security bulletin stated. “US citizens who need assistance should contact the closest US embassy or consulate.” On Thursday, October 19, the department expanded that with a worldwide travel advisory.
Travelers have digested that advice in a number of ways—some canceling, and others staying the course. “Our tours in Jordan and Egypt are operating normally,” says Ashley Isaacs Ganz, founder and CEO of Artisans of Leisure travel agency, adding that none of her clients have canceled their tours to either destination.
Intrepid Travel, on the other hand, has seen “a slight increase in cancellations into Egypt and Jordan over the past week, with customers calling in to cancel due to safety concerns,” says Matt Berna, president of the Americas for the company, noting that other destinations in the much-wider Middle East and North Africa region—like Turkey and Morocco—have not been impacted.
Below, we cover everything travelers should know about traveling to Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt in the near future—including what the situation on the ground is, how travel agents are advising their clients, and how you can monitor the ever-changing situation from a travel perspective.
Should you travel to Jordan right now?
Tourist areas of Jordan, like Petra, Aqaba on the Red Sea, and the capital Amman, remain safe for travelers to visit.
“In light of the recent developments in Gaza, we want to emphasize that Jordan continues to be a safe and welcoming destination for tourists from around the world,” says a statement from the Jordan Tourism Board, according to the Times of London. “Our commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all visitors remains unwavering, and we want to reassure everyone that Jordan’s borders are open to tourists.”
The US State Department has so far kept Jordan under a “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” travel alert that it first issued on July 13. The only regions that travelers are instructed to avoid are the country’s borders with Syria and Iraq, its refugee camps, and Zarqa, Rusayfah, and the Baqa’a neighborhood of Ayn Basha due to ongoing safety concerns, according to the department’s guidance.
If you do have an upcoming trip to Jordan, one factor to consider is potential disruption to air travel. “Our teams have had reports of passengers in Jordan impacted by flight cancellations,” Berna with Intrepid says, noting that the company doesn’t book flights to the region, so he can’t speak to any larger network issues. Intrepid's tours through Jordan are otherwise operating as scheduled.
For travelers who choose to reschedule their visit, United Airlines is offering a travel waiver for its flights into Amman. Customers booked to fly into the Jordanian capital through November 15 can change the date of their flight to any day through the end of the year (they also have the option of changing the destination to Athens instead), or they can cancel and receive a full refund. (United is the only US carrier that flies into the destination.)
Should you travel to Egypt right now?
Trips throughout primary tourist regions of Egypt are continuing to operate as usual. The country’s alert level from the State Department also hasn’t changed since July 13, and remains at a “Level 3: Reconsider Travel.” Tourists should continue to avoid travel to the Sinai Peninsula, the land bordering Israel and Gaza and to the east of Cairo, as it is a “particularly dangerous area” according to the department.
“Tour departures in neighboring Egypt and Jordan continue as scheduled; however, the travel advisory for Egypt remains high,” Berna says. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely based on travel advisories and heed the advice of our NGO partners and ground staff there. The situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories could lead to increased tensions and the situation in Egypt changing with little notice.”
Nile River cruises throughout the country are also continuing to operate as planned. The only changes at this time are cancellations of post-cruise land packages through Israel—most lines have removed these add-on tours from itineraries for at least the next few weeks.
“We monitor world events very closely and make operational decisions based on informed advice from a number of sources,” says a statement from Uniworld updated on October 18. “Our Jerusalem post-cruise extensions departing through December 6, 2023 have been suspended. The suspensions only affect Jerusalem, Israel at this time and our cruises/tours in Egypt and Jordan are running as scheduled. We will continue to monitor and provide updates if any further changes are required.”
AmaWaterways, Viking, and Avalon Waterways have made similar cancellations of extended land tours through Israel, according to Travel Market Report.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with everyone in the affected areas,” Uniworld’s statement added. “The wellbeing of our guests and team members is always our top priority.”
Should you travel to Lebanon right now?
Following the conflict in Gaza, Hezbollah militants and Israeli soldiers have begun to clash in southern Lebanon, and officials in Israel threatened to open a possible second front to the war on the border.
As of October 17, the US State Department has a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” warning for the country. The State Department advisory adds that it has “authorized the voluntary, temporary departure of family members of U.S. government personnel and some non-emergency personnel from US Embassy Beirut due to the unpredictable security situation.”
George Morgan-Grenville, of luxury travel company Red Savannah, is advising his travelers to delay a visit to Lebanon. “Right now, we see no reason at this time to postpone travel to Egypt or Jordan, but would advise against traveling to Lebanon.”
Additional tips for considering travel
All of the above is a snapshot of the situation at the time of writing. Given the potential for the situation to change in any destination, at any time, travelers should regularly check US government advisories, and contact travel providers you have booked with (whether that's a tour or cruise operator, or even hotels in your destination) with any concerns leading up to your departure.
It's the same approach many travel companies take. “Before advising clients on whether to travel or not, we take into consideration the views of both the State Department as well as our own in country agents and suppliers,” says Morgan-Grenville. “It can be difficult for a traveler many thousands of miles away [from a destination] to make an objective assessment, so we try to evaluate the actual facts. Unfortunately, some news media have a tendency to report sensationally which can offer a somewhat misleading picture of the prevailing situation.”
As a precaution, US tourists on international trips should always sign up for the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive important safety alerts from the US embassy in the country they are visiting. Enrolling is free, only takes a few minutes, and will help the embassy contact you in the event of an emergency.
