Sharm el-Sheikh to foreign tourists: 'please don't go'

[webfact]

Sharm el-Sheikh to foreign tourists: 'please don't go'
By Adrian Lancashire

"Sharm will be always safe"

PARIS: -- The Russian and British operations to airlift their citizens out of Sharm el-Sheikh are staggering for the Egyptian government.

Pouring cold water on foreign reports that a bomb caused last week’s airliner disaster, Cairo insists that any such conclusion is premature.

Sharm el-Sheikh, fondly dubbed one of Egyptian tourism’s crown jewels, is the country’s number one destination for Russians and Britons.

Many livelihoods depend on them. Russians make up around one third of all tourists to Egypt.

One Russian holiday-maker told euronews what her stay so far had been like: “…Not very pleasant. We were very worried at first. We had planned this holiday in advance and what happened frightened us. But then we talked to the travel agent and he calmed us down.”

We can see that Sharm still has tourists from various countries, some of whom went ahead with their trips in spite of the plane crash, and who seem determined to stay in spite of their governments’ security warnings.

A German visitor said: “We’ve been here for four or five days and we don’t see anything that makes us afraid, so we are totally relaxed. Everyone is nice here. I don’t see any terrorism here.”

An Italian visitor was equally unfazed: “We have been coming to Sharm el-Sheik for more than 20 years. Nothing like this has ever happened. The weather is very good, and we’re going to keep on coming. We Italians will always come here.”

Terrorist bombers in 2005 killed scores of visitors in Sharm, Egyptians and foreigners. The Arab Spring further harmed security. Last year, Egypt received ten million tourists, in 2000, 15 million.

An Egyptian tourist defended its efforts: “Sharm will be always safe, and for many years a lot of people have been trying to take down Sharm for small incidents and accidents that, as you know, can happen everywhere in the world. But when it comes to Egypt, everything becomes bigger and a disaster, and everything becomes terrible. From what you see here our country is safe, and we will always be safe, and no one will ever try under any circumstances to put our country down.”

Tourism accounts for about 12% of Egypt’s GDP, and contributes significantly to its foreign currency reserves.

Our correspondent Mohammed Shaikhibrahim underscored: “The impact on Egyptian tourism, which had already been struggling, is serious, and this major income earner for Egypt’s economy is being overtaken by this crisis. But meanwhile, several tourists we talked to here have described some countries’ decision to evacuate the place as ‘exaggerated.’”

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-11-10

[Rooo]

Beautiful place, love it & have no fear of going back.

Edited November 9, 2015 by Rooo

[ezzra]

I'm sure that now, the airport there will be the safest in the world, for a while anyway, that is, given enough time to forget, things will fall back to the way they used to be, this is that nature of the people's mentality working there in the whole of Egypt itself.....

[NongKhaiKid]

Please Don't Go.

Are they using the version by KC and The Sunshine Band ?

[leedstony]

remember, some bastard at that airport planted a bomb, the resorts fine but the airports a no no

[Aachen]

remember, some bastard at that airport planted a bomb, the resorts fine but the airports a no no

But -not problem- you can ride home on a camel.

[Kerryd]

remember, some bastard at that airport planted a bomb, the resorts fine but the airports a no no

Huh ?

Planting bombs at resorts is fine, but not at the airports ? Tell me you're not serious.

I was on a Nile cruise boat in July 2005 when militants detonated 3 bombs in Sharm el Sheikh. One in a marketplace (because the bomber couldn't get to his target because of police roadblocks). The other 2 were detonated at hotels. The Egyptian government claims 64 were killed but the hospitals claim they had 88 bodies.

They have committed numerous other acts of terrorism against innocent civilians as well. Doesn't make a difference if they bomb a resort or an airplane, it's still a cowardly terrorist crime.

[KC 71]

I rember my mate went there,and they wanted to swap his girlfriend for a camel ! Lol - i would have accepted the camel- she was a dog !
No- to be serious ,im sure that there are much more dangerous places to go London being one of them !

[jacky54]

Egypt is far, far more interesting for a holiday then Thailand, and the roads are safer too!

[Gordy Gambino]

Pattaya has ample pommy and ruskies so leave the joint for quality aussie tourist like me and I will sort them ting tongs out one at a time.

[aothai]

For principle I never go in Muslim-governed countries for vacation. Have never and will never understand that non Moslems do decide to go there.There are so much nicer countries where you can roam freely without this stupid religion and rules and I don't like to feel in the neck constantly never know is this accept by the religion or not. And to be for 2 weeks in a Hotel compound like in a prison NO thank you.I know, there are also many many kind and nice people, but on the end it is Islam ruled.

[JoePai]

remember, some bastard at that airport planted a bomb, the resorts fine but the airports a no no

Huh ?

Planting bombs at resorts is fine, but not at the airports ? Tell me you're not serious.

I was on a Nile cruise boat in July 2005 when militants detonated 3 bombs in Sharm el Sheikh. One in a marketplace (because the bomber couldn't get to his target because of police roadblocks). The other 2 were detonated at hotels. The Egyptian government claims 64 were killed but the hospitals claim they had 88 bodies.

They have committed numerous other acts of terrorism against innocent civilians as well. Doesn't make a difference if they bomb a resort or an airplane, it's still a cowardly terrorist crime.

Calm down and re-read his post - he did not say that

[ddavidovsky]

Utterly irresponsible of the Egyptians to pretend there's no danger. With IS just up the road, it's only a matter of time before there's slaughter on the beach like in Tunisia.

[GOLDBUGGY]

I have been to Egypt a few times, including the time when the German Tourist were gunned down but Terrorists in a Bus.

Tourism totally died of then and 5 star hotels were offering huge discounts (50% or more) to recoup some of there losses. But even then there wasn't hardly anyone around or their.

But the worst part was you couldn't hardly go anywhere without someone trying to sell you something you didn't want, or lead you to someplace you didn't want to go. All of them were also asking crazy prices to. A street vendor tried to charge me $10 for a small bottle of water. A short horse and carriage ride to my hotel was asking for $10 to. I wouldn't have accepted except my girlfriend really wanted to try this so I agreed. Then when I got there 5 minutes later he wanted $10 each. Go Figure!

It got so bad that I decided to stick around the 5 star hotel, as they weren't allowed to go their. You just couldn't step outside for even 5 minutes, either sitting or walking, without being bugged by someone, and when a polite "No thank you" was not the correct answer for them to go away.

I think things are worst now then they were from that last terrorist attack. The Red Sea Seaside Resorts would be safe and okay as they are a community within themselves. But I wouldn't feel safe or comfortable now walking outside them or in Cairo. If the Terrorists don't get to you, the Beggars will!

[mercman24]

i agree, a lovely place for a holiday, i think the only problem is the leaving bit, ie. boarding a plane to fly home, (if in fact this was the case of a bomb) and it targeted a Russian plane)

[jacky54]

Never go with a woman as they just won't leave them alone, like flies around honey and totally disrespectful and rude

[GAZZPA]

I rember my mate went there,and they wanted to swap his girlfriend for a camel ! Lol - i would have accepted the camel- she was a dog !

No- to be serious ,im sure that there are much more dangerous places to go

London being one of them !

There might be more dangerous places to go but people still get nervous..

As for London being more dangerous for terrorist attacks, sorry I dont see that at all. Yes, it has happened but it is very rare.

[Ulic]

Portable x-ray machines wheeled too the baggage door of airplanes and staffed by security

cleared Europeans. That would be the quick solution by the Egyptian government if it wants

to solve the airport security issue. The Sharm beaches may well be safe but there are still

lots of reports of poor airport security even after this lapse.

[arjunadawn]

Portable x-ray machines wheeled too the baggage door of airplanes and staffed by security

cleared Europeans. That would be the quick solution by the Egyptian government if it wants

to solve the airport security issue. The Sharm beaches may well be safe but there are still

lots of reports of poor airport security even after this lapse.

Yes a quick solution, but bombs are not the only threat. People/police/soldiers with weapons can equally be a threat; just look to Amman presently, Iraq occasionally, Afghanistan often, etc. The greatest possible victory for DAESH is not in what is seen right now and the response by tourism. The greatest victory for terrorists is responding to "We will not be defeated.... I am not afraid.... we will not be detered" posturing with any kind of terrorist attack as a followup. One thing DAESH has not been short of and its tactical ingenuity. IMO, I would not be thinking "this place was just bombed, lets visit. Whats the chances that it would be attacked again?"

The Sinai was always important to IS/DAESH.

[Alwyn]

"Sharm will always be safe"? My daughter was on holiday a few years back and bombs were going off in the town of Sharm itself, how has that always been safe? Seriously though, people might think it's a great place (although not nearly as nice when the Sinai was part of Israel before camp David) but anybody who knowingly takes their family into a dangerous area for the sake of a sun tan has got something wrong with them. Why would you do it? To make a point? So the terrorists dont' "win"? Give me a break...

[Travelman868]

remember, some bastard at that airport planted a bomb, the resorts fine but the airports a no no

Huh ?

Planting bombs at resorts is fine, but not at the airports ? Tell me you're not serious.

I was on a Nile cruise boat in July 2005 when militants detonated 3 bombs in Sharm el Sheikh. One in a marketplace (because the bomber couldn't get to his target because of police roadblocks). The other 2 were detonated at hotels. The Egyptian government claims 64 were killed but the hospitals claim they had 88 bodies.

They have committed numerous other acts of terrorism against innocent civilians as well. Doesn't make a difference if they bomb a resort or an airplane, it's still a cowardly terrorist crime.

Why would we trust the words of the Egyptian Government. They are all part of the Arab Spring and respect nothing and no one.

If IS want to put a bomb in a plane then they will be allowed access by any of the security personnel. " if you do not allow us to put bomb on plane we will behead your children" You think that can't happen think again.

A FEW ISIL fighters made the Iraq army run away

[Nemesis7]

Nice place no doubt. popular for sex tourism among European girls. very aggressive Egyptian boys there.

[Thongkorn]

remember, some bastard at that airport planted a bomb, the resorts fine but the airports a no no

But -not problem- you can ride home on a camel.

I personally would not go near a Camel, Do you know why Arabs call them the ship of the desert. Because they are full of Arab seamen.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Thongkorn