Plane crash in Sinai affects Egyptian tourism
Destinations
The crash of a Russian passenger jet departing from Sharm el Sheikh resort airport threatens the country's touristic reputation
ISIS Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the plane's crash, an incident that currently stays under pending investigation.
The possibility of yet unconfirmed jihadist claims regarding its militants entering the Sharm el Sheikh airport to plant explosives inside the airplane, undermines Egyptian public security and tourist industry, two years after President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi promised to restore public order and safety.
As Egyptian officials continue the battle against Islamist violence, Mokhtar Awad, research associate at the Center for American Progress tracking Islamist violence in Egypt, declares:
“Even though up until now the fighting has been mainly confined to the North Sinai and the Western desert, this government has a long way to go to be able to contain the militant groups, and that is why something like this could be so plausible.”
Previously considered to be a touristic safe-haven, Sharm el Sheikh now loses ground as a preferred destination for tourists.
Sharm el Sheikh’s reputation for security is only 10 years old, as the deadliest terrorist attack in Egypt's history took place in July 2005, when 90 people have lost their lives.
As the Egyptian government is dependent on tourism influx for hard currency, officials upgraded Sharm el Sheikh’s tech security infrastructure. Nevertheless, on Monday, the United States Embassy instructed its employees and citizens not to travel anywhere on the Sinai Peninsula until the incident investigation completes.
Due to tourism crisis, business traveling in the area decreased and began to be highly unpredictable, as local investors are losing considerable amounts of money.
Also, Russian tour operators reported an up to a 50 percent drop in touristic packages sales on Saturday, the day of the crash, according to Irina Tyurina, press secretary of the Russian Tourism Industry Union.
ISIS Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the plane's crash, an incident that currently stays under pending investigation.
The possibility of yet unconfirmed jihadist claims regarding its militants entering the Sharm el Sheikh airport to plant explosives inside the airplane, undermines Egyptian public security and tourist industry, two years after President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi promised to restore public order and safety.
As Egyptian officials continue the battle against Islamist violence, Mokhtar Awad, research associate at the Center for American Progress tracking Islamist violence in Egypt, declares:
“Even though up until now the fighting has been mainly confined to the North Sinai and the Western desert, this government has a long way to go to be able to contain the militant groups, and that is why something like this could be so plausible.”
Previously considered to be a touristic safe-haven, Sharm el Sheikh now loses ground as a preferred destination for tourists.
Sharm el Sheikh’s reputation for security is only 10 years old, as the deadliest terrorist attack in Egypt's history took place in July 2005, when 90 people have lost their lives.
As the Egyptian government is dependent on tourism influx for hard currency, officials upgraded Sharm el Sheikh’s tech security infrastructure. Nevertheless, on Monday, the United States Embassy instructed its employees and citizens not to travel anywhere on the Sinai Peninsula until the incident investigation completes.
Due to tourism crisis, business traveling in the area decreased and began to be highly unpredictable, as local investors are losing considerable amounts of money.
Also, Russian tour operators reported an up to a 50 percent drop in touristic packages sales on Saturday, the day of the crash, according to Irina Tyurina, press secretary of the Russian Tourism Industry Union.
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