Michelle Baran
It's a tough call. Just last month, the U.S. State Department called for the evacuation of U.S. citizens out of Egypt as political protests turned violent, and there is still a travel warning in place advising against nonessential travel to the country. But Egypt's tourism industry is anxious to get its wheels in motion again after grinding to a dead halt, and tour operators are lining up to assure travelers that it is indeed safe to go back to Egypt.
Citing eased government travel warnings and input from its ground team in Cairo, Intrepid Travel will recommence service to Egypt on March 12.
"We've been in constant communication with our ground team in Egypt and have carefully considered the status of current travel warnings before making this decision," Steven Larkin, president for North America at Intrepid Travel, said in a statement.
Right behind Intrepid is Grand Circle Corp., owner of Grand Circle Travel and Overseas Adventure Travel, which has an Egypt departure going out on March 14.
"Our decision to head back to both Egypt and Tunisia comes after extensive meetings with our ground operators, community leaders and tourism officials," said Grand Circle Corp. Chairman Alan Lewis. "Both countries are ready to receive visitors."
IsramWorld also resumed its itineraries throughout Egypt this month, a little more than a month after it evacuated all of its clients out of the country.
"Within hours of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's historic resignation, the IsramWorld reservation phone lines were fielding calls from clients interested in reinstating their previously planned trips to Egypt," the company said in a release.
Egypt specialist Guardian Travel of Virginia Beach, Va., has already brought back an Egypt tour group of 23 U.S. and Canadian travelers, who left on Feb. 22 and stayed for two weeks.
"Egypt is changing and will never be the same," Mohammed Fayed of Guardian Travel wrote in an email update following the trip. "It is really amazing what can happen in 18 days."