As the industry leaders for more than 20 years, TotallyJewishTravel.com (TJT), is the first stop for kosher travelers. After two years of limited travel and limited programming due to the COVID pandemic, TJT is adding all-inclusive programs and kosher hotels to the website on a daily basis. Passover programs in 2022 were an indication that people want to travel. Many users are surfing the TJT website looking for Shavuot and summer programs. Summer has always been a very popular time for family vacations. Summer is coming up quickly with the High Holidays not far behind.
COVID affected just about every aspect of life for the past two years. Travel and tourism were especially hard hit when countries shut down. Very few families took summer vacations in 2020. By the winter and summer of 2021, depending on the location, families began to resume vacationing but adapted to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. By Passover 2022, people were back to traveling like before the pandemic. Most Passover Programs in the U.S. Europe, Mexico, Dubai and more sold out very quickly. Many choose Passover programs that take care of all the details so that they can really relax and enjoy their vacation. Kosher travelers are looking for similar programs for the upcoming holiday of Shavuot as well as the summer vacation season and Sukkot programs.
Following on from the success of Passover Programs in 2022 the Kosher travel landscape for Shavuot, Summer and Sukkot 2022 is diverse and exciting. The Kosher hotel programs that were running pre Covid are back with a bang and in greater numbers and we are also seeing a significant rise in the popularity of Kosher tours to places such as Croatia, Italy, Spain and Portugal. There are also more companies offering fully Kosher ocean and river cruises to a multitude of destinations and so there is something for everyone!
-Raphi Bloom, co-founder of TotallyJewishTravel.com
The holiday of Shavuot is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals when Jews would go up to Jerusalem. Shavuot always takes place in the spring which is a beautiful time of year for a vacation. Shavuot begins on Saturday night, June 4th and ends on Monday night, June 6th (Sunday night, June 5th in Israel). The two-day holiday this year falls out on Sunday and Monday, making it a three-day yontif (holiday) which is another great reason to go away for Shavuot this year. Cooking for Shabbat every week is hard enough but cooking for a three-day yontif would give anyone a headache. It’s the perfect opportunity to take a vacation and let someone else do the cooking for a change. There are Shavuot programs in Italy, France, Cyprus, Prague, Morocco and Dubai. There are also several programs in the United States for those who want to stay closer to home, such as in Arizona, New York and New jersey.
Summer vacation options are increasing every day, from kosher tours and kosher hotels to kosher cruises. Based on the success of Passover programs around the globe, we expect kosher summer vacation travel to be strong with kosher tours and kosher hotels selling out quickly. Vacationers find it convenient and relaxing to be able to wake up in the morning and have breakfast in the hotel. Many kosher hotels will pack lunch for your day trips. You can choose to return to the hotel for dinner or explore the local kosher restaurant scene depending on your location. The option to stay in a luxury hotel and not worry about food is a recipe for the perfect summer vacation. Summer is a great time of year to explore a new country at a kosher hotel or a kosher tour in Italy, Switzerland, France, Cyprus, Morocco, Greece, Austria, Prague, Brazil or Spain. Another great option is a kosher private villa rental in Costa Rica, Anguilla, Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka or Thailand.
Sukkot 2022 begins on Sunday night, October 9th and ends on Sunday night, October 16th. Sukkot goes right into the holiday of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah which begins on Sunday night, October 16th and ends on Tuesday night, October 18th. In Israel, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are on the same day and begins Sunday night, October 16th and ends on Monday night, October 17th. The word Sukkot means “huts” as the holiday commemorates the temporary shelters where the ancient Israelis lived in the desert. For the seven days of Sukkot, Jews eat all their meals in the Sukkah. Sukkot is a long holiday and involves a lot of cooking making it a great time for a family vacation. Many people attend Sukkot programs, so they don’t have to deal with building a sukkah or cooking all the holiday meals. Sukkot 2022 will be the first year since the COVID pandemic that Israel will be open for tourists. There are also programs in Europe, Dubai, Mexico, Morocco and the United States. TJT is adding Sukkot programs every day.
TJT’s website is very user friendly for whatever type of vacation you are planning. It is divided by category and by location so you can find the information that you need. Organized programs are not suitable for all travelers which is why TJT also provides for those planning FIT (Flexible Independent Travel) vacations. FIT vacationers can search by city for JOFY (Jewish Observant Friendly) hotels, synagogues, mikvehs, kosher restaurants and Chabad houses. The TJT blog offers Jewish guides to kosher restaurants and Jewish landmarks in various cities. TJT has all the information that kosher travelers need whether you are looking for an organized program or organizing your own vacation. Shavuot is only weeks away with summer vacation and Sukkot not far behind. Time to log onto TotallyJewishTravel.com and book a kosher tour, kosher hotel, kosher cruise or put together your own itinerary for a perfect kosher vacation experience for you and your family.
