Nadia "Sparkle" Henry
What are the chances of being on a fam trip, only to find yourself in the middle of a sudden geopolitical crisis?
It happened to my colleague Sheena Fortune, owner of So Fortunate Travel, whose immersive, educational journey to the Middle East had to be cut short due to the Iran war. The trip, hosted by Avantgarde Vacations, was organized to give 13 travel advisors first-hand experience in Jordan and Israel.
The original itinerary was to depart from New York JFK to Tel Aviv, explore historic and biblical sites throughout Israel and then continue to Jordan to visit Petra and Wadi Rum before returning to Tel Aviv for the journey home.
But that all changed on Feb. 28.
That was when the U.S. and Israel initiated coordinated strikes on Iran, forcing airspace in the region to shut down rapidly. What was intended to be a return flight from Israel quickly turned into a challenging and uncertain situation.
At the time, Sheena and her group had just arrived at the Dead Sea in Jordan for an overnight stay. Their next stop was supposed to be Jerusalem -- a destination they never reached. Guided by the group leader escorting the fam trip and the tour guide, they assessed the situation and mapped out an exit plan. The original return trip to the States was then changed: rather than flying from Tel Aviv, the group was to depart leave from Amman, connect through Cairo and then on to JFK.
However, as tensions got worse, those plans fell apart. In the early morning hours of March 2, the group awoke to the sound of explosions and saw missiles in the night sky. Shortly after, their tour leader delivered urgent instructions to pack immediately. Airspace across the region, including Jordan, was closing, so they needed to move fast to find an alternate route out.
By sunrise, the group departed the Dead Sea area, initially heading toward Aqaba in southern Jordan, hoping to secure a ferry to Nuweiba, Egypt. Once in Egypt, the plan was to drive to Cairo and fly back home. But because of overwhelming demand, that option became unavailable, so the group's local tour operator pivoted to a land evacuation plan.
The new plan called for the group to depart from Jordan; cross the Wadi Araba border near Eilat, briefly re-entering Israel; and then continue into Egypt via the Taba border.
From there, they embarked on a seven-hour bus journey through the Sinai Peninsula, passing through several military checkpoints before finally arriving in Cairo late that evening.
In the face of uncertainty, they were able to secure a direct flight from Cairo back to JFK the following morning.
In less than 24 hours, Sheena and her group crossed three countries (Jordan, Israel and Egypt) and multiple borders to reach their flight home.
What began as an educational experience quickly became a real-world lesson in crisis management, adaptability and the unpredictable nature of travel.
For Sheena, the experience confirmed a critical truth for travel advisors and travelers alike: It is important to have reliable, responsive in-destination partners and well-prepared emergency plans in case an emergency arises.