Al-Mashat Welcomes Resumption of UK Flights to Sharm El-Sheikh

Tourism Minister Dr. Rania Al-Mashat has welcomed on Tuesday the decision taken by the British government to lift flight restrictions on Sharm El Sheikh in South Sinai.

"We welcome the return of British tourists to Sharm El-Sheikh. This announcement is a renewal of the ongoing cooperation between both nations,” Al Mashat said. 

"This step is a testament to the continuous efforts exerted by the Egyptian government to ensure the safety and security of every visitor in all of Egypt’s destinations, and in South Sinai in particular,” she added. 

The tourism minister also noted that Egypt has significantly invested in safety and security measures including CCTV, airport security, GPS on tour busses and continually reviews and enhances these security steps.  

“The lift of the travel ban on Sharm El Sheikh regains confidence in one of the most popular, entertaining and enjoyable tourism destinations globally, welcoming tourists from all over the world," Al Mashat asserted.

https://twitter.com/RaniaAlMashat/status/1186591041337597953

“International institutions have acknowledged the improvements witnessed in Egypt’s security infrastructure. According to the World Economic Forum’s latest 2019 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report (TTCR), Egypt had the fourth-highest TTCI performance improvement and ranked the most improved in the MENA region on the safety and security pillar," she highlighted. 

She affirmed that the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) attributed the growth in Egypt’s tourism sector to the hugely improved security infrastructure, and awarded Egypt the annual “2019 Global Champion Award” for promoting tourism resilience.

Earlier, the British Embassy in Egypt issued a statement, declaring the resumption of UK's flights to Sharm El-Sheikh.

"The UK has been clear that flights to Sharm El-Sheikh should resume when the security situation allows. I am pleased that today we can announce the lifting of the current restrictions, " the statement read. 

"We will continue to work closely with our partners in Egypt and airlines that plan to resume flights in the future,” it added. 

On his part, the British Ambassador to Egypt Sir Geoffrey Adams said that this announcement follows our aviation security experts’ close cooperation with their Egyptian counterparts. We will work closely with airlines who wish to resume flights.