Tours and Cruises Status
/Updated: January 12, 2021
Thank you for choosing to travel with us and keeping your accounts active as we navigate the new travel protocols. There has been progress on many fronts.
In an ever-changing travel environment, one constant is our concern for our travelers' safety. With borders, hotels, and sites slowly opening in Europe and the Middle East, we have been formulating detailed plans to resume operations. Beyond logistics, our goal is that each of our guests will safely enjoy his/her travel experience.
Our General Healthy Travel Standards are available here. See below for the Holy Land.
All travel programs through March 2021 have been postponed or cancelled.
Regarding the restarting of operations in various locations:
Israel
Please review our Healthy Travel Standards for Israel by reading this post.
Progress on allowing groups back into the country is rapidly moving forward. Groups from countries with low rates of infection will be the first to enter.
Testing at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for countries with higher rates of infection (including the USA) will be implemented.
Requirements to travel to Tel Aviv are not known but could include proof of a negative COVID-19 test and/or proof of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Masks are required in Israel and social distancing is the norm in all environments.
Hotels have rigorous operational standards as dictated by the Health Ministry of Israel, including temperature checks when entering the hotel.
Many sites and restaurants also require reservations to maintain safe numbers in their venues.
Motorcoaches have been outfitted with advanced air purification systems, and capacities will be dictated by the Health Ministry.
Egypt is open, but travel between Israel and Egypt is to be determined. Jordan has not reopened to foreign tourists, and its land borders and airport remain closed.
West Bank (including Bethlehem and Jericho)
Checkpoints with Israel are open. Masks and social distancing are also norms in the West Bank. All business entities involved in tourism are being trained in a 4-week course mandated by the Palestinian Authority on how to operate in the COVID-19 environment.
Turkey
Tours to Turkey will resume in mid-October guided by the EO Health protocols. Those guests with a fever may be subject to testing in the Istanbul Airport.
Oberammergau
The Passion Play was postponed from 2020 until 2022.
Cruises
Cruises departing in the Summer or Fall of 2021 are expected to operate.
