As we are watching Egypt situation unfold, there is a subtler indication of Egypt’s growing instability. A few governments have issued travel warnings while others are not due to commercial reasons. The U.S. State Department had issued a travel alert 28th January, three days after the first demonstrations, and upgraded on 6th February to a travel warning that urged U.S. citizens to avoid travel to the country. Germany expanded its travel warning 1st February to all of Egypt, including its popular Red Sea resorts, due to the ongoing unrest in the country, in a major blow to Egypt’s already shaken tourism industry.
Travel alerts are for short-term events such as demonstrations or an outbreak of H1N1. Warnings are issued due to unstable government, intense crime or frequent terrorist attacks. There is a high threat from terrorism in Egypt. Attacks can be indiscriminate and against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.
Further major nationwide demonstrations took place on Friday 4 February. Previous mass demonstrations have been characterised by violence, including the use of tear gas, water cannon, rubber bullets and live ammunition. A number of reports of foreigners (including journalists) being harassed, attacked and in some instances arrested and interrogated. There are many unofficial checkpoints throughout Cairo which have been set up by gangs who are searching bags and stealing valuables. There are reports of some cars carrying foreign passengers having been attacked with rocks.
On 6 January 2010, around seven people were killed in a drive-by shooting outside a church in Naj Hammadi in southern Egypt. This was followed by reported clashes between protestors and police on 7 January. In May 2009 an explosion occurred outside St Mary’s Church in Zeitoun, Cairo. No one was injured. In February 2009 there was an explosion in Cairo’s Khan al Khalili market which killed one foreign tourist.
Since 2004 there have been three separate bomb attacks in the Sinai Peninsula. These attacks have killed and injured a number of foreign nationals. The most recent rincident was on 24 April 2006 when there were explosions at three separate locations in the resort town of Dahab, in which 23 people were killed and more than 60 injured.
So it’s not safe to travel to Egypt. traveltaboo.com advice the world travelers to follow the news on TV and radio closely, and not to travel to Egypt for your own safety concern.