Updated March 9th, 2023
At GEEO, our goal is to provide educators and their guests the opportunity to see new places and experience exciting and unique adventures but to do so in a safe and responsible manner. While the world is learning to live with COVID-19, the pandemic and period outbreaks remain a concern, and we all need to be cautious and flexible. We will continue to proceed carefully and adjust our plans as required to keep our travelers as safe as possible. The information below details how we intend to move forward with our programming while this pandemic is still a factor.
All GEEO participants are required to:
- Comply with in-country safety requirements including vaccination, testing, and masking where required. At this time, nearly all countries have dropped all COVID-related precautions.
- Follow your tour leader’s safety guidance once you join the GEEO group.
We also recommend that GEEO participants:
- Purchase trip cancelation insurance. While all our participants are required to have medical travel insurance, trip cancelation insurance is optional and can be purchased for an additional fee. Spending a bit extra on cancelation insurance is very much worth it if you happen to test positive for COVID before or during your travels! Our preferred travel insurance provider, Volunteer Card, offers trip cancelation insurance for 6.5% of the amount that you want to cover. For example, if you want to cover $2,000 of your trip expenses with cancelation insurance, that would cost $130. With the uncertainty of travel during a pandemic, we highly recommend taking this extra step!
- Take extra caution to prevent illness before and during your trip. This includes staying up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations and avoiding large crowds in the weeks leading up to your trip. Listen to your tour leader’s advice about whether you need to wear a mask during your trip. At this time we do not expect our travelers will need to wear masks unless they are exhibiting symptoms. All travelers should pack a supply of clean masks just in case there is an outbreak while traveling. Our team enjoys ordering from Bonafide Masks. If you prefer an American-made mask, see Project N95.
- Test yourself if you develop symptoms before, during, and after traveling. While your symptoms might seem like allergies, it’s important that you’re vigilant for your own health and that of your fellow travelers. All travelers should bring a supply of COVID testing kits with them on our trips.
- Stay informed about the pandemic through science-based sources such as Your Local Epidemiologist, Our World in Data, and the CDC.
We will determine which trips are possible to run using these parameters:
- Is it safe for our participants to travel to the location? This mostly comes down to the spread of COVID-19 and health system capacity issues. Our team monitors updates from the CDC, receives up-to-date information from our international partners on the ground, and notifies our travelers of COVID-related requirements as their departure dates approach. At this time, most countries allow entry to foreign visitors and present no more risk of contracting COVID-19 than the United States.
- Are there entry or quarantine restrictions that would make it difficult or impossible to travel to the location for leisure travel? We keep track of all entry and exit requirements for each of our programs. Scroll down to find our current programs and the relevant embassy websites with local COVID-19 information, including entry requirements. Nearly all countries have removed COVID-19 entry requirements, and none of the countries that GEEO travels to at this time required negative COVID-19 test results for vaccinated travelers.
- Do we have at least six travelers who are committed to travel on this program? Let’s go, then!
Testing in the U.S. and Abroad
- Before traveling: Some countries still require a negative COVID-19 test to enter. At this time, none of the countries GEEO travels to require a negative COVID-19 test result for vaccinated travelers, but unvaccinated travelers may be required to test for some locations. Scroll down to find our current programs and the relevant embassy websites with local COVID-19 information, including entry requirements. GEEO will also send you the specific requirements for your destination in the weeks leading up to your departure.
- During travel: Americans are no longer required to present a negative COVID-19 test result in order to return to the United States. If this requirement changes, your guide will arrange for your group to be tested locally. This testing would be at your own expense.
- After travel: The CDC recommends that all travelers get tested for COVID-19 3-5 days after travel. If you test positive upon your return home and are willing to inform GEEO, we kindly request that you tell us so that we can anonymously share that someone in the group tested positive. This contact tracing will help our travelers further reduce the spread of the virus upon their return home.
Postponing Your Trip
It is okay if you change your mind about traveling between the time of booking and 61 days before departure. You can cancel your booking, and your deposit will be put on file for future use. Cancelations 60 days or closer to departure will follow our regular cancelation policy. If we charge the final payment for a program but then need to suspend that program due to changing circumstances, those funds will not be refunded. Instead, those funds would be held as a travel credit and can be used towards future travel within the following 24 months.
G Adventures Health and Safety Procedures
Our tour operator partner G Adventures has implemented health and safety procedures that aim to keep you safe from the moment you arrive until the moment you leave, without taking away from having the time of your life. The policy will evolve as time goes on and as we continue to monitor local public health recommendations, but what won’t change is our commitment to keeping you safe as you explore our big, beautiful world.
- Smaller is better: Our groups have always been small (on average 12 travelers) to encourage connections, access places overlooked by larger groups, and give travelers plenty of personal space — even before physical distancing. We will continue to foster connections with newly created measures to keep everyone safe.
- Our Tour Leaders: Our tour leaders are responsible for our travelers having the time of their lives, which includes keeping them safe and happy. With local knowledge, 24/7 support from our field staff around the globe, and new health and safety training, our tour leaders will continue to do everything they can to ensure that our travelers enjoy their adventure in whatever way makes them most comfortable.
- Sleep soundly: We have always selected our accommodation partners carefully, and now we are working with them to create new procedures to further protect our travelers’ health and safety. Because we travel in small groups, we stay at smaller hotels — which means fewer guests. Not only does this give travelers the opportunity to spend quality time together (with appropriate distancing), but they’ll come in contact with fewer people, too.
The GEEO staff and board are committed to continuing to help teachers travel and bring the world to their classrooms for many years to come. Global education and compassion for our neighbors around the world are more important than ever, and we’re grateful for your dedication to our mission.
Thank you for your understanding and patience as we all navigate this changing world. Feel free to reach out by email or call us at 1-877-600-0105 with any questions.
COVID-19 Information from United States Embassies Abroad: 2022 Program Destinations
