As three British tourists are confirmed dead and another seven remain unaccounted for in Sharm el Sheikh, reports from UK tour operators suggest the majority of British holidaymakers have not changed their travel plans.
While 6,000, mostly foreign, tourists flew out of the Red Sea resort last Sunday, the diving operator Regaldive reported that more than 70 of a group of 100 flew in, preferring to take their trip as planned rather than accept a refund or a postponement. “Life goes on,” observed Regaldive’s MD, Simon Tobin.
Thomson reported that 65 cancelled holidays, offered at half price, were snapped up overnight, and Longwood Holidays, which was offering full refunds last Sunday, said that only half of those contacted chose to cancel.
Thomas Cook reported that call centres took bookings even as news of the attacks was breaking. The company noted a similar stoicism after a bomb killed five in the Turkish resort of Kusadasi on July 16.
Rachael Tomlin, 33, a school teacher from Cambridge, flew to Sharm el Sheikh on Friday. “You could stay in England and be hit by a car,” she said, “and I’ve worked hard for this break. I’ve packed a first-aid kit and I’ll be taking extra precautions to keep my daughter and me safe, such as requesting a room on the beach side of the hotel and staying away from downtown crowds.”
CAN WE CANCEL?
Some tour operators have softened their cancellation policies in the wake of the bombings. Call-centre team leaders at Thomson have been ordered to use discretion when dealing with cancellations, especially where families with young children are concerned.
First Choice has confirmed that customers travelling to Sharm can amend bookings free of charge until the end of August. Thomas Cook, however, has stated that cancelled trips will not be refunded “and we are not waiving the £30 amendment charge”.
Tour operators are by no means obliged to refund clients nervous of terrorist attacks. The Association of British Travel Agents warns: “If people choose not to go, normal terms and conditions apply.” This means travellers will only be guaranteed refunds if the Foreign Office issues a formal warning against all non- essential travel to a country, but under the FO’s new policy of less proscriptive travel advice, that is unlikely to happen.
“We have not changed the overall level of the advice, just updated the facts,” said the Foreign Office. “The travel advice was already at a high level, warning people to be extremely vigilant.” That their position might prevent worried travellers from obtaining refunds was, they said, “completely beyond our remit”.
Insurance cover is unlikely to help. Stuart Wartalski of Endsleigh Insurance said that travel premiums would not rise in the wake of the bombings because “overwhelmingly, policies do not cover acts of terrorism — host governments usually pick up the bill for emergency healthcare and the FCO takes it from there”. Equally, claims for cancellation due to fear of terrorism would not be accepted. One holidaymaker, who declined to be named, tried to cancel her holiday to the Red Sea resort of Taba, where 34 died in a bombing last October. She was told by First Choice that no refund was available, nor could she transfer her holiday to another resort. On the basis of her fears, she has now obtained a certificate from her GP declaring her unfit for travel and will claim on her insurance policy’s cancellation clause.
MINIMISING RISK
While terrorist attacks on holiday resorts seem to be increasing, the likelihood of being caught in a blast remains very low. Statistically, you’re still much more likely to be killed driving on Spain’s notorious N340 than by Al-Qaeda. To minimise the risk further, the key is personal awareness, says Ronnie Dunnett of Global RSL, who faces bombers on a daily basis on Baghdad’s notorious Route Irish. “Be aware of your surroundings, aware of the immediate risks and aware of the way out. Don’t let security concerns ruin your holiday, but equally, don’t switch off.”
John Beynon, director of physical security at the London counter terrorism consultancy Secure Risks, agrees: “A number of minor precautions can be life savers,” he says. His advice: “Stay away from windows in bars and restaurants, as most injuries are caused by flying glass. Where possible, take a table with a solid structure like a pillar or a wall between you and the entrance.
“Pack a key-ring LED torch, whistle, overground map and mobile phone and keep them with you at all times.
“At check-in, request a room on the opposite side of the hotel to the entrance, which is usually where a vehicle bomb will arrive. Ask for a room on floors three to five — the height will shield you from the blast, but you can still be reached by fire ladder.”
Charlie McGrath is a former Irish Guardsman who runs Objective Gap Year, a company specialising in training travellers to survive incidents such as bombings: “For the first half-hour, it’s all about number one,” he says. “Ensure your own safety before you start to care for others. After that, the most important rule is, if you’re safe, stay where you are — people will find you. Then, once you’re calm and feel confident, gather with other survivors — more people means more help.”
He also offers advice on keeping away from potential targets: “The first rule is to avoid really crowded places. The Bali bomb was the perfect example. Second, think about who owns your hotel. Who else is staying in it? Israeli or American-owned hotels might be worth avoiding, or, as was the case with the Mombasa bomb, hotels where most of the guests are from an Israeli tour operator.”
Report by Chris Haslam, Stephen Bleach and Brian Schofield
