Egypt Tourism Dealt Body Blow by Russia Airliner Bomb Fears
By AP, 5 November 2015
Concerns raised by Britain that a bomb may have downed a Russian airliner in Egypt have cast a shadow over a once popular holiday destination already hit by years of political turmoil.
The Egyptian affiliate of the jihadist Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the crash, and on Wednesday the United States and Britain said the mid-air disintegration of the Airbus A321 over the restive Sinai Peninsula -- an IS bastion -- could have been caused by a bomb.
A string of major tour operators immediately suspended all packages to the beach resorts of the peninsula's south coast and analysts warned of a serious risk of lasting damage to a key sector of the Egyptian economy.
Tourists ride camels in Sharm El-Sheikh on November 4, 2015
"This really could represent a hard blow to the Egyptian tourism industry already burdened by years of political uncertainty," said Fawaz Gerges, professor at the London School of Economics.
"Would you go to Sharm el-Sheikh is the question now?"
On Wednesday, Britain and Ireland suspended flights to and from the South Sinai resort airport of Sharm el-Sheikh, from where the Saint Petersburg-bound airliner took off on Saturday before crashing 23 minutes later, killing all 224 people on board.
Egypt has long promoted the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurgada as jewels of its tourism industry.
Famed for their pristine beaches and scuba diving, they have attracted millions of holidaymakers, many of them Russians.
Saturday's plane disaster was the latest in a series of blows to international confidence in tourist safety this year.
In September, eight Mexican tourists were mistakenly killed by Egyptian security forces in the vast Western Desert.
In August, Egypt's IS affiliate claimed the beheading of a Croatian expatriate worker abducted outside Cairo.
The two incidents came just months after police foiled an attempted suicide bomb attack near the famed Karnak temple in Luxor -- one of Egypt's most popular heritage attractions.
Tour operators say the latest disaster is the biggest blow so far.
"Tourism in Egypt will simply die if it was a terrorist attack that brought the plane down," said Hamada Nagi, a tour operator from Hurgada.
- Long-Term Impact -
IS has so far not provided any details in its claim, but aviation experts say the fact that debris and bodies were strewn over a wide area points to a mid-air disintegration of the aircraft.
"The damage is already done. Even if it was pilot error or accident, people believe it was a bomb," Jacques Peter, manager at the Savoy Group of luxury hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh, told AFP.
"There are no cancellations at the moment, but we are concerned for the medium and long term -- the reservations curve, which usually begins to rise ahead of Christmas and New Year, is flat and that's unusual."
Tourism used to account for about 12 percent of Egypt's gross domestic product and some 15 percent of its foreign exchange earnings.
But the industry has faltered since early 2011, when a popular uprising toppled longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak after three decades in power.
Years of instability and a rising tide of attacks claimed by jihadists have kept many would-be visitors away, damaging the economy and sending Egypt's foreign currency reserves plunging.
Last year, just under 10 million tourists visited, sharply down on the 15 million who came in 2010, state media reported.
On Saturday, tour operators in Russia reported a sales drop of 30 to 50 percent in a "shock reaction" to the crash, Russia's Interfax news agency reported, quoting a tourism official.
"There have been cancellations in the first few days, but there aren't many of them," Yury Barzykin, vice president of the Russian Tour Industry Union, told AFP.
But "if the version about a terrorist attack is confirmed, that will raise more concern."
Every fifth Russian tourist going abroad goes to Egypt, he said, adding that even the political turmoil and unrest that followed the July 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi failed to prompt a serious drop.
Sharm el-Sheikh was hit by bombings in July 2005 that killed nearly 90 people, in one of the deadliest attacks in Egypt.
For many, Saturday's disaster was a reminder of such attacks.
Russian tourists in Hurgada were "still shocked and worried" after the crash, said tour operator Nagi, although some said that heightened security measures can cushion any long-term blow.
"If security measures are taken and widely announced, then there won't be a critical drop," said Barzykin.
"Egypt is the main destination for Russians, it has no competitors in the winter period, due to its climate, the standard of service and prices."
Tourists ride quad-bikes during a desert safari trip from Sharm El-Sheikh on November 4, 2015
Egypt has long promoted the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurgada as jewels of its tourism industry ©Mohamed el-Shahed (AFP/File)
Graphic showing where the aircraft crashed after leaving Sharm El-Sheikh
Last year, just under 10 million tourists visited Sharm El-Sheikh, sharply down on the 15 million who came in 2010
UPDATE:
Just Get Us Home! Chaos as British Tourists Stranded in Sharm el-Sheikh Arrive at the Airport Only to be Sent Back to Hotels for the Night
- Jet crashed in Egypt on Saturday killing all 224 people on board
- UK and US have both said crash probably caused by ISIS bomb
- Britain grounds all flights to and from Sharm and 20,000 are stranded
- Tourists stuck in resort complain they have no idea when they'll get home
- Planes being sent from UK and will take ten days to bring all Britons home
- British security sent to scan bags and guard UK planes before takeoff
Downing Street said a bomb smuggled through Sharm El Sheikh airport was probably behind the downing of a Russian airliner (pictured left) at the weekend and grounded all flights in and out of the resort. The crash, which cost 224 lives, would be the first successful airline attack by terrorists since two Russian jets were hit by Islamist extremists in 2004. The terror alert has left 20,000 British tourists without a flight home. Bewildered and anxious passengers last night demanded to know when they would be brought back to the UK. One young couple, Andrew Weir, 25, from Northampton, flew out to Sharm to propose to his girlfriend Chloe Glanville, 24 (both pictured inset).
They are due to fly back to Luton tomorrow with easyJet but now expect to be made to wait. 'EasyJet have told us nothing,' he said.
Meanwhile it has been revealed two C17 aircraft, which are normally used to airlift troops or military equipment and are based at RAF Brize Norton, are on notice to deploy to the Middle East. They would be used to shuttle holiday makers to Cyprus where civilian carriers will be waiting.
Stranded tourists among the 20,000 Britons now stuck in Sharm el-Sheikh for up to ten days have today described the chaos at the airport as they tried to get home.
All British flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh have been cancelled indefinitely after David Cameron said an ISIS bomb probably downed a Russian jet on Saturday killing 224 people.
The ban means 20,000 British tourists in the Red Sea resort must return to the airport when their holiday ends and put on buses to hotels as they wait for a rescue flight home.
Student Amy Bond, 17, and friend Naomi Eade, 19, were put on a bus back to the resort from the airport today and Miss Bond said: 'We have no idea when we will get home. It would be nice to know'.
Joe Walker, 53, has been in Egypt for eight days with wife Veronica, 53, said after being told there was no flight they asked to go back to their hotel but were sent elsewhere because 'it's too expensive'.
Empty planes are being sent from Britain and will start flying stranded tourists back to the UK tomorrow in a process likely to last up to ten days - with a flight ban likely to last until Christmas.
But flights to Russia from the Egyptian holiday resort continued as normal today - despite apparently suffering the worst airline terror attack in its history and a British ban.
Stuck: British tourists stranded in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik are taken from the airport to hotels to wait for news of when they can return home
Cancelled: All British flights to and from the Red Sea resort have been called off indefinitely leaving holidaymakers expecting a wait of up to ten days to get back to Britain
Desperate: Amy Bond, 17, and Naomi Eade, 19, from Yeovil admit they have np idea when they'll go hoime while Jorden Briggs and Gareth Millward from Middlesborough are desperate to get back to their eigh-month-old baby who is with family so they can have a break
Help: Tourist company staff speak to tourists about their option but flights back to Britain will start again tomorrow at the earliest
Holidaymakers due to fly home today were told at their hotels to go to the airport as normal in time for their flight an await instructions.
Monarch is to operate three "rescue flights" and two scheduled flights from Sharm to the UK tomorrow. The company said it has 3,000 customers in the resort.
All Monarch flights from the UK to Sharm up to November 12 have been cancelled while other operators including Thomson and easyJet have also grounded flights.
But there were scenes of chaos and confusion when they arrived and the tourists were eventually told they would be put up for the night but then faced a long wait for transfers and shuttle buses to get to the accommodation.
Britons caught up in the chaos criticised the lack of information available. The British embassy and tour operator Thomson had sent representatives to the airport, but holidaymakers said they could not give them any timescale as to when they might be able to go home and accused officials of keeping them in the dark.
Many said they had no idea there had even been a plane crash until last night, when friends in the UK called and texted.
They accused the Egyptians of ‘down playing’ the situation. They also criticised lax security when they arrived at the resort. But praised the British government’s decision to suspend flights amid safety concerns.