www.gulfnews.com The triple blast which tore through an Egyptian resort town has had minimal effect on tourist numbers from the Gulf, a leading tourist official said.
Airline bookings to Egypt from the GCC fell by up to 2 per cent since about 23 people were killed in last month's Dahab attack, said Ahmad A l Khadim, chairman of the Egyptian Tourist Authority.
The terrorist bombings followed last July's strike at Sharm Al Shaikh, which left 64 dead. Al Khadim claimed UAE visitor numbers to Egypt are up 40 per cent this year and reached 74,000 tourist nights in total from January to March. "We monitor the impact daily and it has been minimal," he said. "We have received new summer bookings to these areas."
He said he was not concerned that numbers would fall, despite the recent attacks and a spate of killings in 1996 and 1997.
"Nowhere in the world is 100 per cent secure from these insane attacks, but people have resolved not to let it change their lives.
"Arab tourists are especially resilient because they believe that whatever you do in life, you cannot control your fate." |