Travel trade halts Egyptian holidays as unrest spreads (Roundup)

Feb 1, 2011, 14:46 GMT

Berlin - The unrest in Egypt took its toll on the tourism industry Tuesday as tourists fled, the German government issued a travel warning and package-holiday companies cancelled upcoming charter flights.

Russians, Britons and Germans make up the biggest contingents of tourists, in that order, with Red Sea beaches and antiquities along the Nile Valley the main destinations. There have been no demonstrations or unrest in the Red Sea resorts.

Whereas the British Foreign Office's advice 'against all but essential travel' applied only to Cairo and three other cities, not the Red Sea resorts, the German Foreign Ministry extended its advice against travel to the whole country including the beaches.

The ministry's travel-advice website said this was because events in Egypt were now unpredictable. However the warning was not a formal, legal caution of the type which would lead to an organized, official evacuation, the ministry said.

Individual tourists are still free to visit Egypt if they chose to ignore the government advice, which is not legally binding.

Hours later, the German Travel Trade Federation in Berlin said the big German package holiday companies had given notice of cancellation of flights and accommodation for their clients up to February 13, 14 or 15, depending on which company was involved.

Torsten Schaefer, a spokesman, said the travel trade was concerned the resorts might run short of food and other supplies, so the firms had decided not to add to the number of holidaymakers onsite.

Holiday companies have been offering earlier departures from Egypt on regular commercial flights to tourists who feel nervous.

Contestants in the Miss Germany contest, who had flown to Hurghada, Egypt as a prize for winning provincial contests, were among those cutting off holidays. The 24 women, aged 17 to 24, would fly home Thursday, two days early, the organizers said.

Tourism earned revenues of 10.8 billion dollars for Egypt in 2009, with key destinations including the Red Sea, the Nile between Aswan and Luxor and the capital Cairo with the nearby pyramids.

Turkey sent seven airliners to evacuate 2,000 of its citizens who wanted to leave. The Turkish Emergency and Crisis Management Authority said another 120 Turks were to be flown out of Hurghada Tuesday, while more were expected to fly out of Cairo on Wednesday.

Ukraine evacuated 127 diplomats, their family members and other personnel from Egypt on Tuesday, a government spokesman said in Kiev.

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