Pilgrims Returning to the Holy Land and the World

(Lakeland, FL November 15, 2021) – Educational Opportunities Tours will host hundreds of pilgrims in the Holy Land, Jordan, and Egypt this month. Throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic, interest in visiting these countries remained high. Israel’s Ministry of Tourism and other governments’ offices worked hard to find creative solutions to facilitate the safe return of tourists. Starting in November, all vaccinated travelers can enter Israel, individually or in a group. In addition, officials reopened border crossings to make travel between these countries easier for visitors to experience the religious, historical, cultural, and natural sites. 

EO Tours restarted tours in October 2020 with a familiarization tour to Turkey. Since then, hundreds of travelers have toured destinations around the world. In October 2021, nearly 1,000 EO Tours travelers visited Greece, the Holy Land, Iceland, and other destinations by land, ocean cruise, and river cruise. 

The number of travelers and demand for faith-based tours continues to increase as the pandemic wanes. “Every group leader I talk to says their group is ready to travel again. People are ready, and we’re excited to take them on a Christian journey of a lifetime.” says James Ridgway, President and CEO of EO Tours, “The situation is so fluid with the ever-changing requirements so that’s where we can help. We ensure guests know what to expect while they travel.” 

As conditions and requirements evolve, EO remains in contact with government offices and keeps travelers up to date on the protocols and guidelines required by each country. EO’s Operations and Logistics teams help each traveler understand the requirements, collect documents and data, and even schedule PCR tests needed for the return trip to the United States. 

“EO has been wonderful in setting everything up. The travel has been safe and everything we have seen and experienced has been life-changing,” said Kathy, a guest who returned last week from an EO Tours journey to the Holy Land. 

Educational Opportunities Tours is a Christian travel ministry that has been delivering Christian journeys of a lifetime for almost 50 years. Travelers have joined EO around the world on Holy Land pilgrimages, Bible land expeditions – by land and sea, Church heritage tours, retreat cruises, and cultural explorations. EO’s travel experts and on-site hospitality staff serve each guest by handling all travel details and ensuring safety and health throughout each journey; curated itineraries, educational resources, and guest speakers create unique experiences that change individual lives, ministry, and the Church.