Foreign Office relaxes Gambia travel ban
The Foreign Office has given the go-ahead to tour operators and airlines to re-start flights to The Gambia.
It said the political situation has stabilised and the possibility of a military intervention is no longer likely.
But Thomas Cook said its decision to cancel its programme until January 31 still currently stands.
The travel giant had to bring home around 3,500 customers at the end of last week after the British Government decided, on Wednesday, to allow only essential travel to the country.
It was concerned about growing tensions in the lead-up to the handover following the disputed Presidential elections on December 1.
Thomas Cook laid on around a dozen extra flights to bring holidaymakers home, the last one on Friday.
Serenity Holidays had 225 package holiday customers and 109 flight-only customers in The Gambia.
Its managing director Chris Rowles flew out to The Gambia assisting the resort team with repatriation arrangements.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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