New Updates
As the world continues to deal with the COVID-19 Pandemic, more updates continue to come out from different tour operators in response to both pandemic growth and new government restrictions. New updates will be posted below to adjust previous policies as they come out.
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As the virus COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the globe, the travel, tourism and hospitality industries continue to take hits. Increased screening and security, as well as expanded and extended travel restrictions continue to evolve. As that happens, travel companies have to adapt according to the rules set forth by Center for Disease Control, the European Centre for Disease Control, the WHO and the United States Tour Operators Association.
One of the questions we get daily, is when will escorted tours resume? All major tour companies are assessing their escorted tours and the countries they operate in on a daily basis. We are sharing the most recent information below. Please note that this blog is current as of posting, but we will make every effort to update the information as tour companies make new announcements.
We have chosen to highlight these tour companies, because of the length of time they have been in business, and how responsive and helpful they were to our clients during this unprecedented time. We are confident in recommending these companies for future travel, several of which offer cancel for any reasons insurance, which will be key for travelers in the future.
When will 206 Tours resume travel?
206 Pilgrimages have been suspended through July 15th, 2021 with the exception of a few US, Medjugorje, and Holy land tours that will resume in June. They are accepting reservations for the Oberammergau Passion Play which was moved to 2022. The company is actively working towards resuming more pilgrimages and expeditions for June 2021.
When will Abercrombie & Kent tours resume travel?
Abercrombie & Kent is actively booking and coordinating tours for this summer in select destinations. Choose vacations in the United States, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Botswana, Costa Rica, Brazil and Ecuador, and the Galapagos. Both small group tours and private custom journeys are available.
When Will Adventures by Disney Resume?
Adventures by Disney, Disney’s escorted tour vacation company has announced they will be cancelling their escorted tours and vacation packages through April 30, 2021 except for the following itineraries on specific dates:
- March 15: Arizona and Utah Adventure
- April 10: Costa Rica Adventure
When will African Travel, Inc resume travel?
African Travel, Inc is currently offering tours and safaris but is prepared to adapt to the landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic. African Travel safaris actively caters to individual travel policies throughout its catalog in Africa travel packages so check the company’s travel alerts for more information: African Travel, Inc Travel Alerts.
When will Alexander and Roberts resume travel?
Alexander and Roberts tours is currently offering domestic tours in different countries but must cater to individual country travel and pandemic regulations. The company has featured, on their site, a list that thoroughly indicates which individual countries are permitting U.S. citizens to enter for touring among the company’s 85 worldwide destinations. Feel free to visit the “Current Open Status for U.S. Citizens” checklist here.
When will Avalon Waterways resume travel?
As announced in March, Avalon Waterways river cruise itineraries are currently suspended for all U.S. residents until at least May 31, 2021. To expand on this, as of April 12, 2021, the Globus Family of brands has declared that at least Monograms and Globus will be returning to international travel as of June 1st, so Avalon Waterways is assumed to follow shortly after.
When will Backroads Travel resume travel?
Backroads is providing (mostly) domestic trips with Backroads active travel tours heightening health and safety protocols on all itineraries. Hawaii, Sonoma Wine Country, and Santa Barbara trips all resumed this month. Grand Canyon, Utah, Arizona, and Napa Valley will start in May, and San Juan Islands and Washington in June.
When will Brendan Tours resume travel?
Brendan Tours is hesitantly booking tours for travelers but is doing so on a case-by-case basis, willing to suspend them should new travel policies or restrictions arise. Guests are set to be contacted 45-60 days prior to the tour departure date to confirm the departure or suspend it. For maximum flexibility, a vacation can even be transferred as a Future Travel Credit to a friend or family member.
When will Caravan Tours resume travel?
Caravan Tours has cancelled all 2021 departures for each destination and has already fully refunded all guests who previously booked them. Caravan has also already established their 2022 tours and are booking guests for 2022 departures already.
When will CIE Tours resume travel?
CIE Tours has been specialize in Ireland tours for almost 90 years. They have suspended departures through June 2021 with the exception of trips to Iceland due to Iceland’s reopening to fully vaccinated worldwide citizens. CIE tours is allowing guests with cancelled tours to move travel dates anytime in 2021 with no penalties. Guests who need more time to select a future vacation will be provided with a travel voucher that is transferable, allowing name changes on the land portion of the trip. Travel vouchers issued as a result of an insurance claim and airline tickets cannot be issued in a new name.
CIE Tours has suspended the operation of all departures through June 2021, per CIE Tours’ Travel Update site.
When will Collette tours resume travel?
Collette has been offering escorted trips since 1918. They offer a variety of travel styles including classic trips, small group journeys, city stays, river cruises & faith-based journeys. Collette Tours has cancelled Alaska for the 2021 season. They are hoping to resume travel to Europe in May of 2021. While Russia travel is currently on hold, Collette has cancelled the remainder of its China departures for 2021.
So far Collette USA Tours have been running safely and passenger feedback is very positive. Iceland, Greece, Costa Rica and Israel are expected to run this summer.
Collette’s Book confidently policy: Go ahead and book that dream trip, because when you purchase our Travel Protection Plan, you can cancel for any reason and get a full cash refund – all the way up to 24 hours before your trip departs. Click to browse Collette tours and take advantage of early booking deals.
When will Contiki Tours resume travel?
Contiki is the leader in travel and adventure packages for 18 to 35 year olds. All Contiki trips departing on or before April 30, 2021 and some departures from May to September 2021 have been suspended globally. Octoberfest Trips were even cancelled for 2020.
Reservations can be postponed and rebooked without a penalty at any time. A travel credit will be automatically available to you for the full value of the land portion of your trip to use for travel before December 31, 2022. Discounts that had been applied to the original booking will be transferred to the new booking. If you are not ready to book just yet, Contiki tours has also given the option of a future travel credit. If guests go that route, the credits are redeemable against any new booking for travel to any destination departing before December 31, 2022 with Contiki tours or another TTC brand (Costsaver or U by Uniworld).
Here is the Contiki Coronavirus Travel Update for more information.
When will Cosmos Tours resume travel?
Cosmos tours is part of the Globus Family of brands and largely follows similar updates to others like Monograms and Avalon. In the most recent update coming from the Globus Family, Cosmos Tours’ international operations have been suspended through May 31, 2020 with the exception of select domestic Cosmos USA Tours. Similarly, Cosmos has expended its domestic offerings for regional travelers in Australia, New Zealand, and United Kingdom.
When will CostSaver by Trafalgar Tours resume travel?
Similar to some other vendors, while travel is restricted in many locations are restricted and adjusting to new COVID-19 health and safety protocols, CostSaver by Trafalgar Tours are being booked but reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Guests and potential guests will be notified 45-60 days prior to the official departure date on the tour’s official status.
When will Discover Tours by Gate 1 resume travel?
All international Discover Tours by Gate 1 departures have been suspended through July 31, 2021, excluding select United States domestic departures.
When will G Adventures Tours resume travel?
A very large portion of G Adventures Tours itineraries are suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the world through May 31, 2021. That being said, the company restarted some international operations in September 2020 to 11 different countries. The company has even recently announced its 100th trip since then as well with itineraries including 9-day Costa Rica Quest – Plus, 8-day Best of Egypt, and 7-day Best of Iceland Plus.
When will Gate 1 tours resume travel?
All Gate 1 tours and vacations have been suspended through July 31, 2021, excluding some USA domestic departures that are still being provided at the moment. Land and cruise payments, including travel insurance will automatically be applied as a future travel credit to be used to book services within the next 18 months and may be applied towards travel departing through the end of 2022. Your airline ticket will remain available as a credit based on your airline’s rules.
For more information, check out Gate 1 Travel’s Coronavirus Update.
When will Globus Tours resume travel?
The Globus Family of brands included Avalon River Cruises, Globus Journeys, Monograms Vacations & Cosmos tours. They have been in business for over 90 years, so you can book with confidence. Globus also offers a cancel for any reason waiver that will provide you with 100% of the cancellation charges in the form of a future travel credit certificate, should you cancel anytime prior to your scheduled departure for any reason that is not eligible for cash reimbursement under the Trip Cancellation Waiver. Some restrictions may apply, and please note that this benefit does not cover independently purchased or Instant Purchase airfare.
Globus has announced that it will resume international operations in June 2021. While the company has announced expansion of domestic offerings for destinations like Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom, Alaska tours that are combined with Holland America and VIA Rail packages have been cancelled for the entire year. Some Globus USA Tours have currently resumed with a limited group size, but Globus has stated that it will be reopening most domestic vacations in May 2021.
Globus family of brands Peace of Mind policy: Globus is allowing all currently booked travelers to move travel dates without incurring cancellation fees, land or airline penalties. You are free to move your booking to any Globus Family of Brands vacation for any destination. If you are not ready to choose your new vacation, the full value paid to us will be provided via a Letter of Credit, redeemable for any future 2021 or 2022 departure and is transferrable. To make the transition easier, this plan includes an additional bonus credit. This bonus credit of up to $200 per person will be in addition to your letter of credit, redeemable for any future travel through 2022. Browse Globus Journeys, Cosmos tours & Monograms vacations.
When will Insight Vacations & Insight Luxury Gold trips resume travel?
Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold are currently operating in the U.S., Iceland, Alaska, Croatia, and Egypt. Trips are currently being offered and booked to countries that allow tourism and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. We expect to see Greece and Israel tours announced for this summer. Browse Insight Vacations and Insight Luxury Gold trips.
Interested in booking a future trip? Insight Vacations also offers a cancel for any reason waiver as part of their insurance policy. Insight will provide you with 100% of the cancellation charges in the form of a future travel certificate. Important note – you must purchase the insurance within two days of your initial deposit for your trip.
When Will Mayflower Tours Resume travel?
Mayflower Tours previously cancelled all departures up until March 13, 2021 and all Oberammergau 2020 departures. Oberammergau trips will be rescheduled for 2022. Currently, the company has stated that it is booking tours but monitoring the worldwide travel situation for the near future. In case of future cancellation, all guests have the option to transfer all monies on their booking to an alternate departure date or tour without a Mayflower fee, up to 30 days prior to departure. Mayflower will waive all cancellation fees with the value of the booking applied as a Future Travel Credit. It’s important to note if you choose to cancel outright a trip that is still operating, standard cancellation fees would apply.
When Will Micato Safaris Resume travel?
Micato has recently stated that the company is “Back on Safari,” booking and running tours with revamped health and safety protocols to accommodate the current state of affairs around the world. The company still has to adhere to all individual country travel laws throughout its African destinations so it is accommodating the itineraries still in its catalog while the world slowly opens back up.
When Will Monograms Resume travel?
Previously stated to have all international operations cancelled through May 31, 2021 (excluding some domestic US operations), the Globus Family of brands stated recently that Monograms Independent Vacations will return to international travel and operations in June for the first time since March 2020. Trips will be open to Iceland, Costa Rica and the Galapagos.
When Will National Geographic Expeditions Resume travel?
National Geographic Expeditions has recently provided a travel update that stated it has further suspended international departures through May 31, 2021. This recent update has also declared the suspension of its partner-operated trips that have also been cancelled through May 31, 2021. These partner-operated trips are as follows:
- partner-operated trips with Lindblad Expeditions
- partner-operated trips with Journey with G Adventures
- partner-operated trips with Scenic River Cruises
When Will Natural Habitat Adventures Resume travel?
While Natural Habitat Adventures has declared a return to travel and is booking and taking guests on tours in the near future based on countries that are allowing international travel, the company has also stated that it is tightening down on its health and safety protocols. Natural Habitat Adventures has declared a timeline for eventually requiring all guests to be vaccinated based off the following date ranges:
- May 1 – June 30, 2021: A negative COVID-19 test result and/or proof of full COVID-19 vaccination will be required to tour with NHA
- From July 1, 2021 on (from June 1, 2021 for Alaska trips): Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination for all adults will be required to tour with NHA
When Will Peregrine Adventures Resume travel?
In a different approach from declaring cancellations months in advance or playing each itinerary by ear, Peregrine Adventures has declared an initial cancellation and set time lines for when future months of travel will proceed or be similarly cancelled according to the following time frames:
- Peregrine Adventures has cancelled all tours (minus select departures) through May 31, 2021
- Status of tours set to departure in June 2021 determined by mid-April 2021
- Tours set to depart from July 2021 onwards are on schedule
When will Perillo Tours tours resume travel?
Perillo Tours is allowing all currently booked travelers before May 2021 to postpone travel dates without penalties. They are offering a $200 per person discount on another tour to Italy or Spain departing through 2021. They hope to resume Italy tours sometime in April of 2021. Hawaii tours have currently been cancelled through June 22nd. Hawaii passengers can reschedule through 2021 with a $150 per person incentive.
For more information, check out the Perillo Tours Coronavirus Policy Update.
When will Rocky Mountaineer tours resume travel?
Rocky Mountaineer has declared that all operations through May 31, 2021 are suspended. The following itineraries will resume operations on the accompanied dates with others following later in the year:
- Journey Through the Clouds will resume on June 1, 2021
- First Passage to the West will resume on June 4, 2021
- Rainforest to Gold Rush will resume on June 5, 2021
When will Tauck Tours resume travel?
Tauck is a family-owned business that has been operating for over 96 years. Tauck offers classic land tours, small group trips, family vacations, river cruises, small ship cruise tours & private departures. They also have exclusive partnerships with BBC Earth, Ken Burns, and world-class venues for Tauck guests only, which are integral to crafting the best travel experiences for their guests.
Most Tauck tours and Tauck river cruises are canceled through June 30, 2021. Tauck has planned to ramp up travel for July of 2021. Most river cruises should operate in July, but the Holland & Belgium River Cruises have been cancelled for 2021. Below, we have provided some information Tauck has provided the republic on its return to touring internationally based on different regions:
- USA Tours – Tauck plans to resume all domestic tours in July 2021
- Wonderland: Yellowstone in Winter resumed in January 2021
- Southern Charms – Savannah, Hilton Head, and Charleston resumed in March 2021
- New Orleans and Mississippi River Country resumed in April 2021
- Blue Grass and Blue Ridges: Louisville to Nashville and In Freedom’s Footsteps: Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. are both set to start back up in May 2021
- The rest of Tauck’s USA catalog is set to reopen by July 2021
- Canada Tours – Canada has not given indication on when borders will reopen for international travel so Tauck is waiting
- Europe Tours – European land tours and cruises are cancelled through June 30, 2021
- Iceland: Iceland has declared that it is open to all vaccinated international travelers, so Tauck is working with Ponant to reopen tours to the area. Tauck will have more information on operating status by mid-April.
- Greece: Greece has announced its reopening to tourists with vaccinations or negative COVID-19 PCR test results, so Tauck is working with Windstar to open tours to the area sooner. Tauck will have more information on operating status by mid-April.
- Latin America, Africa, and Asia: Trips to these regions are cancelled through June 30, 2021
- Tauck is closely monitoring international travel restrictions to these areas and is working closely with partners to open tours to them.
- Specifically, Costa Rica and Tanzania are open to international travelers, so Tauck plans to have more information on potential itineraries by mid-April
When Will Trafalgar Tours Resume?
Trafalgar is currently operating limited trips in the following destinations:
- USA and Costa Rica Tours (Planned for May)
- Egypt and Nile River Cruises (operating now)
- Iceland & Greece (planned for July)
If you don’t see a company listed, please feel free to call us or comment and we will be happy to provide you with the information.
Other Information about the Travel Industry Re-Opening
As vaccines are becoming more readily available to the public throughout the world, more tour companies and countries are feeling comfortable allowing travel to re-open. Above we have detailed cruise lines that are taking steps to allow vaccinated travelers to explore the world again, but we have more information in some of our featured blogs below:
