Notes on Sharm el-Sheikh

Notes on Sharm el-Sheikh

by Jimmy Dunn

There are lots of developments on Sharm from our end. Sponsored by South Sinai Travel, we are sending one of our staff writers, Seif Kamel, to Sharm. He will spend at least several weeks, beginning next Monday, there reporting on what is going on, covering tourist activities, night life and other aspects of Sharm daily, including talking to vacationers about their experience. We even hope to provide a little video. He will be reporting live on the Sharm News blog. We actually wanted Seif in Sharm sooner then that, but security is very tight and we must get him various clearances before he can begin reporting from the city.

At this point, our contacts in Sharm inform us that the city is returning to normal (though certainly security is much tighter and yes, there are a few less vacationers). The Arab Summit will meet there next Wednesday, and Swiss, British and Italian travel companies are resuming their charter operations as of tomorrow (August 2nd), having closely monitored the safety precautions and determined that their citizens will not be in danger in Sharm.

I also wanted to share some of the comments that have been coming in on the Sharm News Blog from our readers. They are a good, overall representation of what we have been hearing from all of our readers: I guess most Tour Egypt readers are pretty well informed, and enthusiasts, because most are not canceling their Sharm vacations (In fact, we have not heard of a single Tour Egypt reader canceling their vacations). Those who know the Egyptians also know their kindness and hospitality, and know that they well be warmly welcomed.

Chris & Family Says:
July 29th, 2005 at 5:20 pm

Hello everyone in Sharm el-Sheikh.

My family and I booked a holiday to visit Sharm back in January, and we are due to come next week. We have seen lots of holiday makers cancel their bookings, and we are truly sorry for that. We are not canceling our booking, and we will be with you all on Sunday 31st July to share in your pain and sorrow, but to show the terrorists that they cannot win. We must all stand together to fight this evil, not with guns and bullets and bombs, but by showing solidarity with each other, and proving that if we stand together, we will succeed.

I am sorry for the loss of your people, I am sorry for the loss of your visitors, I am sorry that some have decided to stay away, but I am glad to say that we will be there to support the people of Sharm, and show that we must go on.

See you on Sunday !!!

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Lewis & Family Says:
July 30th, 2005 at 4:28 am

Im with Chris on that

We too are traveling to Sharm on Sunday 31st We have been looking forward to this break very much, and will not let mindless terrorists spoil what will be an amazing trip. We must stand together in this fight.

We too, are sorry for the loss of so many people.

Best regards, and good luck with the season

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Laura & David Gill Says: July 30th, 2005 at 5:29 am

We are regular visitors to Sharm and our hearts go out to all of you there. Not only to those who have lost friends or loved ones, but to all of you who have worked so hard - and got it so right for your tourists over the years. You did not deserve this.

We shall return, and we know that our friends will to - and when we return, it will not only be for a holiday, but to show support & loyalty to the people of Sharm, who have, in the past, been so wonderful to us..

Wishing love & peace to you all,
David, Laura & Jenni Gill from Scotland.

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Laurie Weston Says:
July 26th, 2005 at 10:05 am

Jimmy
That was a very moving statement which I totally agree with. I am flying out to Sharm on Thursday morning with my wife and 3 kids. We have been looking forward to the trip for a long time now, we were appalled by the atrocities and sat down together to discuss what we were going to do. It was unanimous that we don`t allow the terrorists to prevent us from doing what we want to do. So we all agreed that we would carry on. No doubt it will be a different experience than we would have hoped but we intend to have a good time in Sharm.

All the best Laurie

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Miss Drummond Says:
July 26th, 2005 at 10:38 am

My family and I are booked at the Savoy in Sharm in 2 weeks . We are thoroughly looking forward to it. We will not be frightened by these attacks.

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Patricia in Texas Says:
July 24th, 2005 at 1:44 pm

I also will be traveling to Egypt in October and certainly feel good about it. I have been there before and know that Egypt takes its tourism industry seriously. I always felt safe and know Ill feel safe again. Terrorism can happen anywhere. When people start talking about it being unsafe to travel to countries like Egypt, I always remind them of April 19, 1995..the Oklahoma City bombing. Terrorists do sometimes look like the boy next door. Statistics show that Cairo is as safe or safer than many USA cities. The people are warm and appreciative of tourists. Anyone who decides not to go because of this is really losing out on a great adventure.