Red Sea tourists face threat of national strike
Thousands of Britons holidaying in Egypt’s Red Sea resorts could be caught up in a national strike planned for Sunday.
Protestors who have gathered in Cairo and other major cities again today to demand the immediate resignation of President Mubarak are calling for all workers to stage a one day strike over the weekend.
The popular sunspots of Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada and others on the Red Sea have so far been unaffected by the political unrest spreading across Egypt, and the Foreign Office is insisting the region is still safe for British tourists.
However, holidaymakers in the Red Sea resorts could find services affected if hotel and other resort staff heed the call for a mass walkout.
First Choice and Thomson will have 10,500 customers in Sharm, Taba and Hurghada on Sunday. A spokeswoman said: "(We) have received no confirmation that a national strike will take place in Egypt this Sunday.
"We hold customer service in the highest regard and, should any strike be confirmed, our teams are confident that this will have no impact on our resorts. We continue to monitor the situation closely."
She said the operators’ resort reps were keeping holidaymakers informed via letters and noticeboards and all of the resorts have a 24-hour holiday helpline.
Neither First Choice, Thomson nor Thomas Cook have not amended their travel advice for those with bookings for Egypt’s Red Sea resorts, though TUI has cancelled flights to Luxor on February 9 and 16 and flights to Aswan up to April 25 following Foreign Office advice.
Thomas Cook has cancelled flights to Luxor on February 9 but customers booked on flights on February 16 have been told to wait and see what happens.
Meanwhile hundreds more British nationals are expected to flee Cairo this weekend as mass demonstrations in the capital, which have already led to thousands of casualties, continue.
The Foreign Office has laid on a second relief flight for UK nationals from Cairo on Saturday for those unable to secure seats on commercial flights. An earlier relief flight landed at Gatwick on Thursday with 166 passengers onboard.
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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