Thomson Airways Political Situation in Egypt.

By: Lindylou - 29th January 2011 at 16:07

Following the reported demonstrations in Cairo and other locations, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is now advising against all but essential travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez. It is not currently advising British nationals to leave the country.

All excursions to Cairo and Luxor have been cancelled until further notice.

The safety of our customers and staff in the destination remains our top priority. We continue to monitor the situation closely and work with the Federations of Tour Operations and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and will plan any appropriate steps necessary to ensure the safety of our customers.

Advice for customers currently in Egypt and those set to depart imminently is as follows:

Luxor - As the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not advising customers to leave the country, all customers currently in Luxor can continue their holiday as usual.

We do advise all customers currently in Luxor to see your local representative for updated information and respect any curfews currently in place. Our experienced resort team are also in the process of updating all customers about the recent change to Foreign and Commonwealth advice. If customers are concerned about remaining in the city, please contact our holiday advisors or resort office to discuss.

Customers who may be concerned and due to depart to Luxor this coming week should contact the customer helpline to discuss their options on 0800 009 3835 between the hours of 14:00 – 18:00 today, 10:00 – 16:00 on Sunday and 08:00 – 20:00 Mon-Fri.

We would ask all flight-only customers to call to call 02476 282228 or text 82345 to provide a contact number for them whilst in Egypt so we can keep them updated with the latest information.

Sharm el Sheikh - The resort has not been affected by the demonstrations and is a considerable distance - indeed, an eight hour drive - from Cairo. To put this distance into context, it is the equivalent of driving from London to Dortmund, Germany or from Manchester to Bruges, Belgium via the channel tunnel.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office are advising against all but essential travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez, therefore holidaymakers in Sharm el Sheikh will not be affected and can continue their holiday.

All excursions to Luxor and Cairo have been cancelled until further notice. Our experienced resort team are on hand to answer any questions customers may have.

People should also take considerable reassurance from the fact that the resort of Sharm el Sheikh operates like a country in itself. It is run separately from the rest of the Egypt, benefits from having just one secure road into the resort, and enjoys an exceptionally low crime rate. There is also no unemployment in Sharm el Sheikh, since those living in the resort are only there because they are employed in tourism.

As the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice has not changed for Sharm el Sheikh, and as it is safe to do so, operations will continue and normal booking conditions will apply.

Aswan - The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advising against all but essential travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez, therefore holidaymakers in Aswan will not be affected and can continue their holiday as planned.

The resort is a considerable distance from Cairo (860 km) and Luxor (220 km).

Our experienced resort team are also in the process of updating all customers about the recent change to Foreign and Commonwealth advice. All excursions to Luxor and Cairo have been cancelled until further notice.

As the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice has not changed for Aswan, and as it is safe to do so, operations will continue and normal booking conditions will apply.

Hurghada - The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advising against all but essential travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez, therefore holidaymakers in Hurghada will not be affected and can continue their holiday as planned.

The resort is a considerable distance from Cairo (450km) and Luxor (290 km) and has not been affected by the demonstrations.

Our experienced resort team are also in the process of updating all customers about the recent change to Foreign and Commonwealth advice and are on hand to answer any questions customers may have. All excursions to Luxor and Cairo have been cancelled until further notice.

As the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice has not changed for Hurghada, and as it is safe to do so, operations will continue and normal booking conditions will apply.

Marsa Alam - The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advising against all but essential travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez, therefore holidaymakers in Marsa Alam will not be affected and can continue their holiday as planned.

The resort is a considerable distance from Cairo (730km) and Luxor (350 km) and has not been affected by the demonstrations. Our experienced resort team are also in the process of updating all customers about the recent change to Foreign and Commonwealth advice and are on hand to answer any questions customers may have. All excursions to Luxor and Cairo have been cancelled until further notice.

As the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice has not changed for Marsa Alam, and as it is safe to do so, operations will continue and normal booking conditions will apply.

Lynda Smith
Thomson Airways