Violence in Egypt takes huge human and economic toll
International tourists continue to swarm to Egypt’s Red Sea beaches despite the deepening violence in Cairo.
Egypt has declared a month-long state of emergency after hundreds of people were reported to be killed on Wednesday when government security forces stormed the protest camps of the supporters of the deposed president, Mohammed Morsi.
The violence in Egypt threatens to further hurt the country’s economy by dragging down its pivotal tourism industry and depleting its foreign-exchange reserves.
Australians in Egypt who are concerned for their safety are being advised to consider leaving by commercial means. Other nations are advising their citizens to stay indoors to avoid the violence.
The Association of British Travel Agents said there were about 40,000 British tourists in Egypt, predominantly at the Red Sea resorts.
Holiday company Kuoni tweeted that they were monitoring the situation, but as yet there had been no impact on Red Sea resorts.
Egypt’s tourism minister Hisham Zaazou told AFP that the sector is suffering even more, as the current unrest is hitting the peak season.
"In the first 15 days of July 2013, Egypt welcomed 387,000 tourists compared with 515,000 tourists in the same period last year," Zaazou said.
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