Egypt spills beans on Blair holiday
|
|
|
By Toby Helm and David Blair Daily Telegraph 20 December 2003
Downing Street's annual attempt to keep the Prime Minister's holiday plans secret foundered yesterday
when the Egyptian government confirmed that for the third year running the Blairs will take their New Year break on the Red Sea.
The prospect of Mr Blair and his family lending their support to the struggling Egyptian holiday market was too much for the country's tourism minister.
No 10 had refused to say which hot spot the Blairs would choose this year for their winter sun break. They claim to want to protect the family's privacy.
But Lila Aabid, Egypt's under-secretary for tourism, could not contain her excitement when asked if the rumours were true. "He [Mr Blair] will be in Sharm el-Sheikh. We are respecting his privacy," she said, seemingly unaware of the contradiction.
"It's very good news. When a very important person comes here for the third year running, it shows we are a safe and a beautiful destination."
No 10 refused to confirm that the Blair family will leave for Sharm on Boxing Day - or, indeed, that they are going there at all.
But they are known to like Sharm, a modern and slightly soulless resort on the Sinai peninsula, because it is warm and convenient. It has wonderful snorkelling, diving and other sporting facilities.
In the past, they have stayed in a villa beside the Tower Club hotel close to the sea and long sandy beaches. Inland is striking mountain scenery. A day-trip away is Mount Sinai and the famous Greek Orthodox monastery of St Catherine.
During their previous visits the Blairs have flown to see the Pyramids and the temples at Luxor. But they have always stayed overnight in Sharm. An exclusion zone is always thrown around their villa.
Sharm is remote but not too far away. If the Prime Minister needs to dash back, he is just five hours or so from London.
For the Egyptians, the Blairs' presence is worth a million holiday advertisements. Egypt suffered a series of terrorist attacks by fundamentalists in the early to mid-1990s, which severely damaged the tourist industry. There has been no attack since 1997.
As for the dangers of travel to Egypt, the Foreign Office does not seem overly worried. Its latest travel advice, updated last month, mentions a "general threat" to Western interests from terrorism in the region. It advises "vigilance" and that "sensible precautions" are taken.
Other potential dangers, it says, lurk offshore, were Mr Blair, his wife Cherie and children Euan, Nicky, Kathryn and Leo to fancy sailing out to sea or a quiet day's fishing. "There have been attacks by armed pirates against ships in the southern Red Sea."
The Blairs' holiday in Sharm two years ago was the subject of controversy after news leaked out that they were staying there free as the guests of the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
They tried to keep the whole thing secret but were seen at Cairo airport on Boxing Day. Last year, they agreed to pay in full for their break.
Mr Blair has had a stressful year with the war in Iraq, rows over domestic reform with his own party and the Hutton inquiry into the death of the government scientist Dr David Kelly.
His recent health scares have convinced many colleagues that he badly needs a break. The Egyptians will do their best to make sure it is a good one and that, next year, he makes it four trips in a row.
|
| Back to main page
|
|
|
|
Partner country Egypt at ITB Berlin
Grand opening ceremony on 6 March 2012 – numerous cultural events with typical national attractions at the world’s largest travel trade show – interactive communication via Facebo (24/02/2012)
|
|
Showing 4 news articles
Back
To Top
Cairo Office / Agents
Mr. Mounir El- Fishawy
Apt No. 12, 36.
Shreif St. ( Down Town )
Cairo – Egypt
Mobile : +201 231 33236
Tel: +20 2 3939850
Fax: +20 2 3918989
E-mail: itmcairo@tcph.org |
ÇáÞÇåÑÉ
ÇáÓíÏ ãäíÑ ÇáÝíÔÇæí
36 ÔÇÑÚ ÔÑíÝ – ÔÞÉ 12
ÇáÞÇåÑÉ – ÌãåæÑíÉ ãÕÑ ÇáÚÑÈíÉ
áÊÛØíÉ ÇáÏæá ÇáÊÇáíÉ: ãÕÑ¡ ÇáÓæÏÇä æáíÈíÇ . |
|
|
