TOUR operators are monitoring
the situation in Egypt following
the blast in Giza on May
19 that injured 17 people,
including three South Africans.
Thompsons Holidays has
not received any cancellations
from South Africans, says
marketing manager, Celeste
Muir. Thompsons also hasn’t
declared a stop-sell. “The only
time we will call a stop-sell is
when the country itself issues
a state of emergency.”
The Travel Corporation is
in contact with its team on
the ground and is monitoring
the situation, says Teresa
Richardson, TTC md.
However, Stacey
Rampersadh, outbound
manager for Inspirations Travel
& Tours, says it has received
a request for a cancellation on
an Egyptian tour and predicts
that travel providers can
expect bookings to drop over
the next few months. She says
security has been stepped up
in the area.
Tourists were on their way
to visit the pyramids when a
roadside explosion hit their
bus. The Department of
International Relations and
Cooperation (Dirco) issued a
statement on May 19 saying
that 28 South Africans were
part of the tourist group.
Dirco spokesperson,
Ndivhuwo Mabaya, said the
tour company – whose name
he could not provide to TNW –
immediately organised travel
arrangements for the affected
tourists to return home.
