p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)--sm Mt(0.8em)--sm" type="text" content="Although the country has been troubled, most of the popular tourist spots have remained largely undisturbed and are not listed as off-limits by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). While North Sinai is a designated no-go zone for British tourists, the FCO states: "There is no FCO advice against travel to Cairo, Alexandria, the tourist areas along the Nile river (including Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings) and the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada."" data-reactid="25"Although Egypt has been troubled, most of the popular tourist spots have remained largely undisturbed and are not listed as off-limits by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). While North Sinai is a designated no-go zone for British tourists, the FCO states: "There is no FCO advice against travel to Cairo, Alexandria, the tourist areas along the Nile river (including Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings) and the Red Sea resorts of Sharm el Sheikh and Hurghada."p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)--sm Mt(0.8em)--sm" type="text" content="This echoes the message that Egypt's tourism officials are anxious to get across. Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market convention in Dubai, Egypt's tourism minister Mohamed Yehia Rashed told the Associated Press that the Red Sea resorts and Ancient Egyptian sites are safe for travellers. "We are saying that the tourism sector is safe, the airports are secure, the hotels are secure," he said. Egyptian officials are thinking positively, and have declared an aim of attracting between 7 and 10 million visitors in 2017." data-reactid="26"This echoes the message that Egypt's tourism officials are anxious to get across. Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market convention in Dubai, Egypt's tourism minister Mohamed Yehia Rashed told the Associated Press that the Red Sea resorts and Ancient Egyptian sites are safe for travellers. "We are saying that the tourism sector is safe, the airports are secure, the hotels are secure," he said. Egyptian officials are thinking positively, and have declared an aim of attracting between 7 and 10 million visitors in 2017. However, following the 2015 plane crash, the FCO is still advising against all but essential air travel to Sharm el Sheikh. The upshot of this is that, although there is no direct threat associated with staying in Sharm, it's not possible to fly there direct from the UK and packages are only offered on a very tentative basis by tour operators. Travel industry insiders have told The Independent that the government is unlikely to give the all-clear for Britons to fly to Sharm until the results from an investigation into the crash are released. p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)--sm Mt(0.8em)--sm" type="text" content="In the words of Thomas Cook's group head of customer welfare Carol MacKenzie, "As long as the flight ban remains in place, the resort is, in effect, closed for British tourists."" data-reactid="28"In the words of Thomas Cook's group head of customer welfare Carol MacKenzie, "As long as the flight ban remains in place, the resort is, in effect, closed for British tourists."p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)--sm Mt(0.8em)--sm" type="text" content="The UK tour operator is prepared for a lift in the ban though. "We do currently have flights available to Sharm el Sheikh from November 2017 in case the FCO determines that the risk of flying to the airport has reduced," said MacKenzie. "Without that change, we will cancel all planned flights and holidays from the UK to Sharm el Sheikh and offer free amendments to a different destination, or a full refund."" data-reactid="29"The UK tour operator is prepared for a lift in the ban though. "We do currently have flights available to Sharm el Sheikh from November 2017 in case the FCO determines that the risk of flying to the airport has reduced," said MacKenzie. "Without that change, we will cancel all planned flights and holidays from the UK to Sharm el Sheikh and offer free amendments to a different destination, or a full refund."
