George’s International Tours continues to monitor the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in order to make informed decisions for the safety of our travelers. Over the last 90 years we have been committed to providing a safe, pleasant travel experience to all of our clients and that commitment remains as strong today in the midst of this crisis as it did at the time of our inception.
All of our decisions are being based upon trustworthy information from the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. State Department and the various other local governmental organizations of the destinations we serve.
March/April Group Tours
International travel to Europe and Israel/Jordan has become exceedingly complicated in the last few weeks due to the current situation. It has become impossible to provide our clients with the experience that they deserve and expect from George’s International Tours, during these challenging times. Because of government and airline-imposed travel limitations and changes that are evolving daily, we have been forced to temporarily suspend operation of ALL tours to Europe and Israel/Jordan from now until April 30, 2020 at which time we believe we will be in a better position to provide the experiences our clients expect and deserve.
For those tours which have been cancelled in March and April we are working tirelessly with our suppliers (airlines, hotels, motorcoach companies, etc.) in order to obtain waivers of their normal cancellations policies in order to provide our clients with refunds and/or credit for future travel. This is a complicated process and there is not a one-fits-all approach to refunds, so please be patient as we work with our suppliers to negotiate the best possible outcome for you. Once we know more we will update our clients and travel agent/tour coordinator partners directly on a group-by-group basis. Travel expenses for our groups in March and April were for the most part already disbursed to the airlines and our partners overseas, so once refunds are authorized by them we will still have to repatriate the funds back to our accounts in the United States and potential refunds to our clients may take 4-6 weeks (or longer in exceptional cases).
If you booked airfare for your tour in March or April on your own, please contact the airline you were scheduled to fly on directly to inform them that your tour has been cancelled and determine what their refund and/or rebooking policy will be. In the event that your flights were booked through George’s International Tours we will communicate with the airline on your behalf.
We are very sorry for any inconvenience that a tour cancellation may cause you, however your safety and well-being are our number one priority and are what has guided this decision. We pray that the situation will return to normal soon and that you will be able to reschedule your pilgrimage for a future date.
May 1, 2020 and Later Group Tours
If you are booked on a tour or pilgrimage starting May 1, 2020 or later, our standard cancellation policy will remain in effect. We will evaluate each tour on a case-by-case basis for those tours departing after May 1, 2020, however our hope is that the arrangements for these tours will be unaffected and will operate as planned. If it becomes apparent that a scheduled tour starting May 1, 2020 or later cannot continue as planned, our office will contact each client and/or travel agent/tour coordinator by phone and/or email to present the available options.
Oberammergau Passion Play Tours
We are continuing our preparation for all tours departing to see the Oberammergau Passion Play from May thru October, 2020. According to the Passion Play’s website (as of March 13, 2020), the premiere is still planned for May 16, 2020. Currently, all known restrictions should expire well before any of our tours depart. We are continually monitoring the Passion Play’s website as they release updates, and will keep you informed of any changes.