SHAME FOR SHARM EL SHEIKH STAFF
The tragedy at Sharm El Sheikh is not only a tragedy for the passengers and families on that Russian airliner but also for the thousands of hotel workers in that Red Sea resort.
With flights being cut back to none for the main inbound tourists the resort will now be a ghost town.
The bustle of the markets and shopping areas around the main hotels will be the first to suffer a total lack of customers.
A LOSS TO BOTH STAFF AND TOURISTS IN SHARM EL SHEIKH
The dive and pleasure boats, quad bikes and even the camels there will be a drought for all of fare paying passengers. For it is those fares that will keep workers and their families fed in months to come.
Sharm El Sheikh camel drivers.
After bombs in Taba the year before last in the North of Sinai it was felt that the area around Sharm itself was secure, as it appeared to be. However it seems that a security breech within the airport and its cordon could be to blame and it was the Russian passengers that paid a terrible price.
Taba shop owner.
My personal experience in both Taba and Sharm were somewhat different. In Taba there was certainly a higher profile of security with security stops and armed police and soldiers visible. In Sharm it was more relaxed in terms of visible security but it did feel safe.
Sharm El-Sheikh Airport Egypt
But I have to say my feelings do go out to the many workers in tourism in Sharm El Sheikh and especially for their families many of whom are based in Cairo. Thousands of the workers travel from the capital to earn their living in this first class Red Sea resort area that offers a great product and is a tourism asset for Egypt and its working people.
They journey for many hours by road and stay away from their families for weeks and even months during the peak seasons working especially hard knowing they can earn good wages and keep their families well supported.
Diving in the Red Sea Sharm El Sheikh
Not only is it the waiters and hotel staff it is also the camel drivers, quad bike guides and the dive teams that certainly will be going nowhere and their normally thousands of tourists too!
But what will be the length of the latest flight ban? Rumours from the airline industry are that flights could be returning in late December but they are just that.
Under bus bomb checks being made by security staff on tourist buses in Taba
No doubt after a full review of security at Sharm El Sheikh and additional measures put into place just how long will it take for the tourists to feel comfortable to return?
