The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) petitioned the UK government to lift the current ban on UK-based airlines flying to Sharm el Sheikh.
In a letter to Prime Minister Theresa May, David Scowsill, President and CEO of the WTTC, and Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General of the UNWTO, underlined the importance of resuming operations to the Egyptian coastal resort as the current travel advice is having disastrous effects on the country’s economy and social stability. The ban has been in place since a plane from the Metrojet airline company, covering the route from Sharm el Sheikh to St Petersburg, crashed in the Sinai Desert in October 2015.
“Travel and tourism are vital to the economy and social peace in Egypt as they represented 11% of the country’s GDP and contributed 2.6 million jobs in 2015. The drop in the number of visitors has resulted in massive job losses. The country’s principal worry is the desperation the lack of employment opportunities, especially for young men and women, has generated, making them more vulnerable to radicalisation or fleeing the area in refugee boats,” they said.
Egyptian authorities have taken important measures to increase security in the airport and surrounding areas. These improvements are in compliance with the UK Department of Transport’s safety advice. All other countries, including Germany and Russia, have already allowed their airlines to resume flights to Sharm el Sheikh.
“It’s devastating to see the impact the current UK travel advice is having on Egypt, especially among younger workers. We urge the UK government review its travel recommendations and allow commercial airlines to fly to Sharm el Sheikh, and in doing so, help rebuild the country’s travel and tourism sector, the GDP and create job opportunities,” they concluded.
