The adventure-tour operator Explore will decide in the next few days whether to go ahead with trips to the remote western desert of Egypt, where 11 tourists were kidnapped on September 19.

The company’s next tour, which is due to depart on October 17, will include several days in the Gilf Kebir, an uninhabited region of dramatic rock sculptures and prehistoric cave art. It was there that 11 tourists, mostly Germans and Italians, and eight Egyptian guides were seized by gunmen and taken over the border into Sudan.

Explore says the 11 clients booked to travel next month have been offered the chance to switch to another tour, but are all keen to go ahead. Other tour operators report that clients have been in touch seeking reassurance after initial media reports misreported that the kidnap had taken place in the popular tourist city of Aswan.

The Foreign Office has not advised against travel to any parts of Egypt, merely reiterating its warning of a “high threat from terrorism” across the country. In the past, Islamist groups attacked tourists as a way to destabilise the Egyptian government, but the motivation for the latest kidnapping seems far from ideological – the gunmen have demanded a ransom.

Explore statement on September 30:

"Explore took the decision over the weekend to cancel its ‘English Patient Desert Adventure’ tour due to depart on 18 October, which was to visit Egypt’s remote Gilf Kebir region. Explore is concerned about the potential risk of travelling to the area at present, particularly since the Egyptian authorities have temporarily stopped issuing tourist permits to visit the Gilf Kebir. Customers booked on the 18 October departure have been notified; some have chosen to transfer onto other Explore tours and some have taken full refunds.

The next scheduled departure is in February. At present this tour is expected to go ahead, but Explore will only proceed if security has been improved in the Gilf Kebir region, and if permits are again being issued. A decision will be made in the interim, and customers booked on the trip will of course be advised of any changes should they be necessary."

Ashley Toft, Managing Director, Explore

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