Essential Information for Traveling to Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon

Pia Abboud’s travel company, Discovery Beyond Borders, has been struggling due to a series of crises in her home country of Lebanon. "Globally, we faced COVID, but Lebanon also dealt with the economic crisis, the Beirut explosion in 2020, and now the ongoing war in Gaza and Palestine, which is impacting southern Lebanon and the wider region," she explained via WhatsApp.

Since October 7, when the conflict between Israel and Hamas began, Abboud has not conducted any tours. Seven months later, she remains uncertain about her business's sustainability. "How much resilience can we muster? Every year brings a new crisis, and just when we think it can't get worse, it does," she remarked.

Jordanian guide Ahmad Alomari had just returned from hiking-guide training in Utah and Wyoming when the war broke out. What was supposed to be a peak season has turned into a wave of cancellations. Alomari reported a staggering 90 percent decline in bookings compared to 2022. "I considered selling my farm to invest outside tourism, but with everything in Jordan affected, there’s no interest in buying," he said.

Basem Salah, co-founder of Great Wonders of Egypt Travel, has experienced a significant drop in bookings since October. "The conflict in Gaza has severely impacted both our cultural and beach tourism," Salah stated. The war is creating far-reaching effects on tourism, a crucial economic sector in the three countries bordering Israel.

Tourism was experiencing significant growth

At the onset of the war, Lebanon was grappling with one of the most severe economic crises since the mid-1800s, caused by a combination of rising debt, political turmoil, and poor financial management. However, by the summer of 2023, conditions were starting to improve, partly due to a "tourism surge.” Just months later, though, tourist arrivals plummeted, prompting the World Bank to warn that Lebanon’s economy could slide deeper into recession.

Egypt was also experiencing a rebound in tourism. After grappling with increased grain prices due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2023 was reported to be one of the best years for tourism in the country’s history, according to the government. Nevertheless, visitor numbers fell short of expectations and are not anticipated to recover until travelers from the U.S. and Europe return.

Jordan’s tourism sector was thriving in 2023 as well, but in November, there was a 90 percent drop in American visitors, with travelers from Britain, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain virtually ceasing to visit. Hakim Al-Tamimi, the Jordan tourism board representative for Western Europe and adventure travel, noted that 4,531 Spanish tourists visited Jordan in September 2023, compared to just 747 in February 2024. This decline is particularly detrimental for an economy like Jordan’s, where tourism accounts for 14.6 percent of its gross domestic product (for reference, the United States reached 2.9 percent in 2023).

In response, tour operators and hotels have been forced to lay off employees, leaving many with limited job options in Jordan’s precarious economy. “Many of the things that, with all due respect, people in the West take for granted, we simply do not have,” Al-Tamimi remarked. “The concept of unemployment benefits is nonexistent here.”

An overview of what traveling to Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon is like today

According to recent travelers and local operators, iconic attractions like Petra in Jordan, the Baalbek Roman Ruins in Lebanon, and the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt are quite uncrowded. “Now is actually a great time to travel,” noted Salah from Great Wonders of Egypt.

Yulia Denisyuk, a freelance journalist who has visited Jordan several times over the past seven years, remarked that during her February visit, Wadi Rum was nearly deserted, and she was the only guest at her favorite spot, Rum Planet Camp. “It felt surreal: Jordan is typically serene but was even more tranquil without tourists,” she reflected. “However, it was also unsettling and heartbreaking to realize that [war] is occurring so near to where we stood.”

Karolanne Emery, a teacher who took a weeklong diving trip from London to Egypt in February, shared that she had an amazing experience in Hurghada and Dahab, and she intends to return this October. “Honestly, aside from the Palestine flags, you wouldn’t even know a war is taking place in the neighboring country,” she remarked.

Travel journalist Dayvee Sutton stopped in Lebanon for a brief 33-hour visit in mid-October, right at the onset of the war, and expressed that such a short stay was far from sufficient. “I only had two days and wish I could have stayed for a week,” she said.

As of the latest update, the U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory for Jordan at Level 2, meaning “exercise increased caution,” while Lebanon and Egypt are at Level 3, or “reconsider travel.” The highest level, 4, is a “do not travel” warning.

Travel to the Middle East is unlikely to see a significant resurgence as long as the conflict persists, but some industry insiders are noticing that not all travelers are avoiding the region.

Tour operator Intrepid reports that bookings for its tours to Egypt and Jordan are “strong,” while Alexandra Baackes from Wander Women Retreats mentioned that her May 2024 trip to Jordan, accommodating 14 women, is fully booked. “We’ve done a lot of reassurance for our guests regarding traveling to Jordan right now, even offering to communicate directly with some families who had concerns,” she said. “As heartbreaking as the situation is across the border, I believe our guests in Jordan and Egypt will remain unaffected. If anything, they will encounter fewer crowds and even warmer welcomes than usual.”

The scenario in Lebanon is markedly different, as it experiences regular missile fire over its southern border (Beirut, Red Sea towns in Egypt, and a U.S. Army base in northeastern Jordan near Syria have also faced strikes). Pia Abboud of Discovery Beyond Borders in Lebanon doesn’t anticipate business returning to normal for at least a year—though her booking calendar is beginning to fill. “I’m hosting three groups in the upcoming two months,” she stated. “But I still can’t shake the anxiety that something might happen and they could cancel.”

“Honestly, we live one day at a time with no forecasts or long-term plans,” she added.