Tour operator Intrepid has announced that it will resume trips to Egypt beginning April 1, after postponing all departures to the country two weeks ago, at the start of the Iran conflict. That said, interest in visiting the destination has declined significantly due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, with Intrepid reporting significant cancellations among American clients.
“Travel has always been one of the most powerful ways to support local communities,” said Leigh Barnes, president of the Americas at Intrepid Travel. “Being able to return to Egypt means visitors can experience an incredible destination while helping bring much-needed income back to the guides, small businesses and families who rely on tourism.”
Before the conflict, Intrepid says it was seeing heightened demand for Egypt travel among Americans, with departures for its Premium Egypt products up 196% year over year as of February. Since the company postponed all trips two weeks ago, it has seen 161 American guests cancel outright, mostly for spring-season departures (March to May).
While Intrepid’s bookings represent only a small snapshot of how the violence in the Middle East is playing out for the travel industry, it’s still an ominous sign for the region — especially given the World Travel and Tourism Council’s recent announcement that the conflict is resulting in estimated financial losses of at least $600 million per day for the tourism sector.
For now, Intrepid has also canceled trips to Jordan and Oman until April 15. Clients with canceled trips can rebook to another destination, receive 100% credit toward the land components of the trip, request a refund (minus 20% unrecoverable costs) or, if they are under package regulations in the EMEA region, get a full refund. If travelers are unable to reach their Egypt departures due to flight cancellations caused by air closures, they can receive a 100% credit for the land components of their trip.
