Currently there is no requirement to present your vaccine status to fly on International flights or travel to any of the countries we visit. Could there be one eventually? We highly doubt it. But, we don’t make the rules. While we do have some access to industry insiders like our travel agents and our ground partners overseas, the reality is that we hear the news about the same time you do. What might be true today can change tomorrow.
We traveled in Summer 2021 without having to present any vaccine documentation. We traveled in Summer 2022 with options to present alternatives to vaccine documentation. So, to be perfectly clear, no one has EVER been denied travel on a SaWUSA tour because they were not vaccinated!
All of our tours in 2021 and 2022 went super smooth. We expect smooth trips in Summer 2023 and all following summers. The reality is Covid is something the rest of the World has already realized will be endemic – meaning it will be here forever and we are just going to deal with it.
Personally, I respect your freedom to make the decisions for what is best for your family regarding getting vaccinated. SaWUSA has no entry requirements for any of our tours regarding heath care. Unfortunately, we don’t make the rules for air travel or for the specific countries we visit :).
Regarding your SaWUSA tour and contract it is very simple. Our travelers are responsible to meet the requirements of both the airline and the countries we visit. So, for example, one requirement already in place is to have a valid passport and present that at the airport to get on the plane and to enter the country you are visiting. If you don’t have a valid passport, you aren’t getting on the plane or being let into the country. SaWUSA would not be responsible if you missed your flight or were denied entry onto a plane or into a country because you forgot to bring your passport. If the powers that be decreed some vaccine law for air travel or access to a specific location, it would fall into this same category – it is your responsibility to meet those requirements.
Don’t worry, there is an easy solution here. If you are concerned about a vaccine mandate, we strongly advise you to purchase travel insurance. We have a partnership with TravelSafe that offers “Cancel For Any Reason” coverage. This is the coverage you would want to get to cover the event that a future vaccine mandate would be imposed. If a mandate did come to fruition, then you would simply submit your claim to be refunded. You can shop for your own coverage with other carriers as well. Just make sure you get “Cancel For Any Reason” coverage! Basic coverage may not cover you for not wanting to travel because of a vaccine mandate.
The link to purchase travel insurance will be available on the application website after we process your down payment or payment in full for the tour.