Kidnappings in Egypt not deterring tourists

Explore, the UK operator of adventure tours, has said that it will decide in the near future whether or not to proceed with future trips to the western desert in Egypt, a remote area where 11 tourists were abducted on 19 September.

The next tour offered by the company is scheduled to depart on 17 October, and would include several days of exploring the Gilf Kebir, an uninhabited desert area featuring a spectacular collection of prehistoric cave art and dramatic rock sculptures.

Gilf Kebir is the location where the kidnapping of the tourists, mostly European, occurred. The 11 tourists and their eight Egyptian guides were taken at gunpoint from the Egyptian desert across the border into Sudan.

Explore has reported that their client booked on next month’s tour have been offered the opportunity to change their booking to another of the company’s tours, but in fact are keen to proceed.

Other tour companies have indicated that their clients are staying in touch with them about conditions in various parts of Egypt, largely due to misleading reports in the media regarding the location of the abduction, indicating that it occurred in the vicinity of the popular tourist destination of Aswan.

The Foreign Office is not advising against travel to any part of Egypt at this time, but has restated its warning that there exists a high threat from terrorism in the country.

In the past, Islamic terrorists in Egypt have targeted foreign tourists as a way of destabilizing the government. This most recent kidnapping, however, does not appear to have an ideological foundation, as they gunmen were demanding ransom for the release of the tourists and their guides.

www.explore.co.uk