Families in Heraklion are growing increasingly uneasy about upcoming school trips abroad, as ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East begin to affect even routine educational travel plans. What was supposed to be a normal spring season of excursions has turned into a source of stress for many parents, who now find themselves caught between safety concerns and the risk of losing money already paid.
Several schools in the region had scheduled trips to destinations such as Istanbul and Cyprus, locations traditionally considered safe and popular for student travel. However, the broader instability in the region has made some families reconsider whether sending their children abroad is the right decision at this time.
The hesitation is not based on any official travel ban. So far, the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs has issued no directive suspending school excursions. This lack of guidance has left parents in a difficult position, forced to decide on their own whether to allow their children to travel, while facing the possibility that cancelling participation could result in significant financial losses.
According to Dimitris Douloufakis, president of the Heraklion Parents’ Association, the amounts already paid for these trips often reach several hundred euros per student — a serious burden for households already struggling with rising living costs.
Parents say the issue is not only safety, but also fairness. Many are asking the Ministry to clarify the rules and provide a framework that would allow families to withdraw from trips without financial penalties if the current geopolitical climate makes them feel uncomfortable.
In recent years, school excursions abroad have become more expensive and more complex to organize, involving contracts with travel agencies, airline bookings, and hotel reservations that are not always refundable. When uncertainty appears suddenly, families are the ones left to absorb the cost.
The situation highlights how international tensions, even when far from Crete, can ripple into everyday life on the island — affecting schools, travel plans, and household budgets.
For now, parents are waiting for clear instructions from the authorities. Until then, each family must decide for itself whether the educational value of the trip outweighs the worry that comes with sending a child abroad during an unstable time.
