With full-scale war seemingly imminent, the Middle East has been plunged into a crisis on a scale unmatched since the Arab-Israeli conflict of 1967. Confident of US support and dismissive of conditions, Israel has told Tehran that Tuesday night’s missile attack was “a big mistake” and that Iran would suffer “a painful response”. The timing and proportionality of the threatened retaliation is unclear, but the reverberations will be felt across the Middle East and beyond. Here’s what the war will mean for travellers.
Israel: As of October 2, the Foreign Office warns against all travel to Gaza, the West Bank and the northern regions bordering Lebanon and Syria, and advises against all non-essential travel to the rest of the country.
• Is it safe to travel to Israel right now? Latest travel advice
Lebanon: The Foreign Office advises against all travel to all areas of the country.
• Is Lebanon safe? Latest Foreign Office travel advice after Israel invasion
Jordan: But for a 3km strip along the Syrian border, there are no warnings against travel to Jordan, although Jordanian airspace was closed for the duration of the Iranian missile attack and flights to and from the country are likely to be delayed or cancelled in the event of further strikes. Foreign Office advice was updated on October 1 to note that debris from an intercepted missile had fallen on the capital Amman.
Egypt: Long-standing advice against all travel to North Sinai, bordering Israel, remains in place, as does the similarly enduring caution against non-essential travel to the Western Desert. There are no warnings in place for Cairo, the Nile or the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh, Marsa Alam and Hurghada. The Foreign Office notes that ongoing military operations against Houthi militants in Yemen could affect travel advice for nearby countries including Egypt.
The UAE and Oman: There are no advisories against travel to the emirates, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras al Khaimah, nor to Oman.
• Is it safe to travel to Dubai right now? Latest UAE travel advice
Egypt is considered to be reasonably safe for tourists
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Are Egypt and Jordan safe for tourists?
The Foreign Office and Germany’s Federal Foreign Office consider both countries to be reasonably safe for tourists, although the UK advice warns that terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Jordan, and that “there may be heightened anti-western sentiment”.
Other national advisories urge more caution. The official French line is to “exercise increased vigilance” in both Jordan and Egypt, while the US State Department suggests reconsidering travel plans for the latter. Australia’s advice is to “exercise a high degree of caution” in both Jordan and Egypt.
• Is it safe to travel to Egypt right now? 2024 travel advice
• Is it safe to travel Jordan right now? 2024 travel advice
Are there warnings against travel to any other parts of the Middle East and north Africa?
There is no official advice against travel to Morocco, and no-go zones in Tunisia are limited to the borders with Libya and Algeria. Of these two, the former remains subject to blanket advice against all travel, while the latter is considered safe but for a 30km strip along its borders.
The Foreign Office warns against all travel to Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
• Is it safe to travel to Morocco right now? Latest travel advice
• Is it safe to travel to Tunisia right now? 2024 travel advice
Flights to Jordan are operating as usual
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Are airlines still flying to the Middle East?
Beirut and Tel Aviv are effectively cut off after global airlines suspended flights to Lebanon and Israel. About 30,000 Israelis are thought to be stranded overseas, and attempts by Israel’s transport minister Miri Regev to persuade the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to reverse a no-fly order that runs until October 30 have failed. EASA says “Considering the current conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, there is a high risk to civil aviation. The conflict involves rockets, missiles and drone launches from Lebanon with Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire, including systematic activation of air-defence systems.”
Flights are operating elsewhere in the region but may be subject to delay, cancellation or rerouting if airspace is closed due to military activity. Those flying further afield also face longer flight times or other disruptions as airlines avoid a swathe of airspace over Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel to route instead over the Caucasus to the north or Saudi Arabia to the south.
• Airspace closures: how Iran’s attacks have affected flight routes
There are no advisories against travel to Dubai
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Can I cancel my Middle East flight if I don’t want to travel?
If your flight has been cancelled by your airline then you are entitled to a refund. If you wish to give up your seat on a flight that is operating, your entitlement to a refund depends upon the conditions that came with your ticket. In general, only full-fare tickets, regardless of cabin class, come with that perk and the easiest way to check is to contact the airline.
Can I cancel my holiday to the Middle East?
Unless the Foreign Office advises against non-essential travel to the destination in question — as it has for Israel and Lebanon — normal booking conditions apply. Any request to cancel your holiday is considered to be “disinclination to travel” and you cannot expect a refund under the Package Travel Regulations (PTRs). Nevertheless, it’s worth sharing any concerns with your operator in case they can offer any flexibility.
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What are the tour operators saying?
“We’ve had one call from a mildly concerned client heading to Jordan,” says Jarrod Kyte at Steppes. “I called our ground handler in Amman and he said he had clients from multiple nations on tour in the country and it was business as usual.”
Michael Edwards, the managing director of Explore Worldwide, which has tours departing to Egypt, Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia over the next eight weeks, says: “While we don’t operate tours to the directly affected countries, the Middle East is a very popular region with our customers. The Foreign Office advice remains unchanged for Jordan, and our upcoming tours are expected to run as scheduled.
“We understand that customers booked to travel to Jordan in the coming weeks may have questions and are always happy to discuss any concerns. We have flexible booking conditions in our Explore Flex policy.”
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