Safe? Sinai
Photo: Tsur Shezaf
'Israel seeking to harm Egyptian tourism'
Sinai officials slam Counter Terrorism Bureau's travel warning urging Israelis to leave area immediately as ploy to impede peninsula's booming tourism industry
Egyptian officials slammed Israel's Sinai travel advisory, accusing Jerusalem of trying to impede the area's booming tourism industry.
Earlier Saturday, the Counter Terrorism Bureau issued a travel warning urging all Israelis to leave the Sinai Peninsula immediately.
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Fouda added that currently Sinai's Sharm el-Sheikh hotels were at 65% capacity.
The official further said that he was sure that the travel advisory would have no impact on the area's tourism, and that so far no mass exit of tourists – Israelis or otherwise – has been noted by the Taba Crossing.
Fouda said that some 1,700 tourists crossed from Israel to Sinai through Taba on Saturday alone, and that 1,691 left. "This is regular traffic," he said.
South Sinai security chief Mahmoud Hefnawi added that Egyptian security forces were "escorting tourists from the moment they enter the district and until they leave. Security forces are present in all tourist attractions to ensure the visitors' safety."
Israel believes that Sinai has become a hotbed for terror activity. The defense establishment has been able to ascertain that several failed attempts to launch terror attacks at Israeli security forces have emanated from the peninsula.
