‘We don't send our guests to war zones – but we can give partners there hope’
Last month, Regent revealed its 2024 worldwide programme, which features new trips in Romania, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia and beyond.
But our decision, as reported by TTG and others, to keep Palestine and Israel in the brochure – despite the war in Gaza – caught the attention of many.
The response gave us cause to reflect on why we did so, why we think it matters – and what it means for the agents that sell our products.
It’s worth clarifying a number of things upfront. Firstly, we would never send our clients into areas of conflict. All of our trips to Israel, Palestine and Lebanon are currently suspended, and we adhere to Foreign Office advice.
Secondly, our programme features Jerusalem, Jericho, Bethlehem, Hebron and other places in the West Bank. It has never included trips to Gaza.
We have featured Israel and Palestine in our collection for five years now, as well as nearby Lebanon and Jordan. Home to beautiful countryside, iconic historical and religious sites, vibrant markets, delicious cuisine and the captivating Sea of Galilee, they have held an allure for informed and discerning travellers.
They are places of pilgrimage as well as beauty, community and culture, and our programme includes opportunities to stay with welcoming local families or help Palestinian farmers harvest olives in their fields near Bethlehem, breaking bread with them afterwards over lunch.
‘Pioneering spirit’
Despite an incredibly complex situation, our rationale can be simplified into one word: people. We wanted our ground handlers and the wider community, whose livelihoods depend on tourism, to know that we are not abandoning them.
And we want to show our commitment to supporting the recovery of these destinations and their people by keeping them front of mind, for when it is safe to travel there again.
We believe this serves agents and their clients too. Of course, we need to focus on other destinations for now, but when this war ends, we want to be business-ready to showcase the wonders of these destinations, and to satisfy the demand and curiosity that will come from a corner of the travelling British public.
Our advice to agents is to do the same – as we all know, travel purchasing and bucket-lists can be a long-game, and there’s no harm in inspiring for the future.
It’s not the first time in recent years that we – and other specialist operators like us – have been faced with such a dilemma. Regent also had a substantial programme in Ukraine, which we also hope to revisit one day.
We approached the situation in the same way – putting the people first. While not currently in our brochure due to the longevity of the situation, Ukraine remains on our website.
We were also able to provide staff from our ground handler in Kyiv with roles in our central product team to support their livelihoods in the meantime.
Regent has always been something of a trailblazer when it comes to opening up lesser-trodden paths around the world.
We are proud of our pioneering spirit, and have introduced our discerning travellers to some of the world’s most fascinating places, supporting some of its most marginalised communities.
We have no intention of stopping, while keeping the safety, security and wellbeing of all involved at the heart of every decision we make.
Susanne Muskita is product and travel specialist at Regent Holidays.
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