Unpaid leave for tourism workers
The ongoing nationwide unrest in Egypt has prompted some tourist resorts, hotels and tour operators in the Red Sea area to grant 90 per cent of their workers open-ended periods of unpaid leave, after an unprecedented number of tourists have cancelled their trips. Other tourist resorts reported that only security personnel and gardeners had been kept at work, although no bonuses would be paid to them. It is estimated that the total number of Egyptians working in the tourism industry lies at around 400,000. Meanwhile at Hurghada airport – the airport many tourists use to access Red Sea resorts – there are reports that some foreign airlines have closed their desks, with workers being given open-ended periods of leave until the political upheaval is over and tourist flights are resumed. According to a report from the Egyptian Chamber of Hotels, occupancy rates at 80 per cent of the hotels in Hurghada, Marsa Alam and al-Qoseir failed to surpass 15 per cent in the last two weeks. The report predicted that this week, occupancy rates in hotels are expected to approach zero, as tourist flights from most of Europe and Russia stop completely, and tourists who had already flown in to the country for a week’s holiday are leaving. Over the past 10 days, Ali Shaaban, head of a tour operator in Hurghada, said that over 250,000 tourists had cancelled their flights to the Red Sea. Meanwhile, one Australian insurance company is reportedly claiming that it is safe to fly into Egypt, despite warnings not to travel there from the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Hospitals Contribution Fund of Australia, underwritten by Western Australian HBF Insurance, has refused claims covering air fares and accommodation cancellation costs for travellers who wish not to undertake their planned holiday to Egypt. Joe O’Donnell, claims manager for the fund, told The Australian that unless there were no aircraft flying to Egypt, it was the tourist’s choice not to travel and therefore they would not be covered under the terms of their insurance: “There’s still a choice for you to go because it’s not like Baghdad where they were bombing the airport and saying no one’s going in and out.” In response, Bill Shorten, assistant treasurer, said that where the government had advised people not to travel, insurers should apply ‘reasonable common sense’, which, he added, might be ‘sadly missing’ in this case. In related news, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has changed its travel advice for Tunisia following the violence there; the FCO is saying that it no longer advises against all but essential travel to the country. Speaking on 4 February, minister for the Middle East and North Africa Alistair Burt said: “Last month’s events in Tunisia were watched around the world. There is now a new government which is broad-based and has signalled its intention to deliver political reform and a path of reform to what we hope will be free and fair elections. This progress, marked by its commitment to sign important human rights agreements, appears to have public acceptance.” However, he added: “It is still early days. Much depends on how the new Tunisian government continue to engage with the public, civil society and the international community.” Regarding the changing travel advice, Burt said: “We have decided to change our travel advice to reflect our assessment of these recent events and the reduced threat to British nationals. A tourist industry is vital to Tunisia’s economy and future. We hope this change in the advice enables people to see the country in a new light and we look forward to being engaged in assisting its political, social and economic development.”
The ongoing nationwide unrest in Egypt has prompted some tourist resorts, hotels and tour operators in the Red Sea area to grant 90 per cent of their workers open-ended periods of unpaid leave, after an unprecedented number of tourists have cancelled their trips. Other tourist resorts reported that only security personnel and gardeners had been kept at work, although no bonuses would be paid to them. It is estimated that the total number of Egyptians working in the tourism industry lies at around 400,000. Meanwhile at Hurghada airport – the airport many tourists use to access Red Sea resorts – there are reports that some foreign airlines have closed their desks, with workers being given open-ended periods of leave until the political upheaval is over and tourist flights are resumed.
According to a report from the Egyptian Chamber of Hotels, occupancy rates at 80 per cent of the hotels in Hurghada, Marsa Alam and al-Qoseir failed to surpass 15 per cent in the last two weeks. The report predicted that this week, occupancy rates in hotels are expected to approach zero, as tourist flights from most of Europe and Russia stop completely, and tourists who had already flown in to the country for a week’s holiday are leaving. Over the past 10 days, Ali Shaaban, head of a tour operator in Hurghada, said that over 250,000 tourists had cancelled their flights to the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, one Australian insurance company is reportedly claiming that it is safe to fly into Egypt, despite warnings not to travel there from the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Hospitals Contribution Fund of Australia, underwritten by Western Australian HBF Insurance, has refused claims covering air fares and accommodation cancellation costs for travellers who wish not to undertake their planned holiday to Egypt. Joe O’Donnell, claims manager for the fund, told The Australian that unless there were no aircraft flying to Egypt, it was the tourist’s choice not to travel and therefore they would not be covered under the terms of their insurance: “There’s still a choice for you to go because it’s not like Baghdad where they were bombing the airport and saying no one’s going in and out.” In response, Bill Shorten, assistant treasurer, said that where the government had advised people not to travel, insurers should apply ‘reasonable common sense’, which, he added, might be ‘sadly missing’ in this case.
In related news, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has changed its travel advice for Tunisia following the violence there; the FCO is saying that it no longer advises against all but essential travel to the country. Speaking on 4 February, minister for the Middle East and North Africa Alistair Burt said: “Last month’s events in Tunisia were watched around the world. There is now a new government which is broad-based and has signalled its intention to deliver political reform and a path of reform to what we hope will be free and fair elections. This progress, marked by its commitment to sign important human rights agreements, appears to have public acceptance.” However, he added: “It is still early days. Much depends on how the new Tunisian government continue to engage with the public, civil society and the international community.” Regarding the changing travel advice, Burt said: “We have decided to change our travel advice to reflect our assessment of these recent events and the reduced threat to British nationals. A tourist industry is vital to Tunisia’s economy and future. We hope this change in the advice enables people to see the country in a new light and we look forward to being engaged in assisting its political, social and economic development.”