To think my parents shouldn't go to Egypt?

[sevendwarves]

My parents are supposed to be going to Sharm el Sheikh in 5 weeks time on holiday. I know the area is currently unaffected but i'm worried and personally I wouldn't go, and think to do so would be stupid.

I should point out that they have booked this holiday using their Tesco vouchers so it hasn't really cost them anything.

AIBU to not want them to go, and should I express my concerns or accept it's up to them?

Good point cantspel

The border crossing at taba is boody awful at the best of times, even on a good day it can take hours to cross so god only knows what it would be like in a crisis. I wouldn't go on hoilday and rely on it as an excape route if things go pear shaped.

YABU, they're not going to Cairo. DSis is in Sharm and having a great time.

yes.. border crossing at at Taba is vile.. done it twice. Hateful and takes hours.

My parents are going too, but I think its only a week and a bit away until they are meant to be going. I would rather they didnt :( I hate anyone going on holiday and get very worried abotu people when they go away, never mind with this situation.

I can confirm the nightmare at Taba. We went diving there after a bomb had gone off. Took the best part of a day yo get in and out of Israel from Taba. However, I'm a big fan of keeping an eye on the FO advice and being sensible. You also never know with travelling if something will kick off while you are in a country, at least they have an idea what is going on.

Btw apparently Mubarak owns large chunks of Sharm el-Sheikh so is not-so-indirectly a major beneficient of mass tourism there.

It'll be at a stage of completion in 5 weeks time. My cousins are Egyptian and I spoke to them yesterday. My uncle and my cousin are "doing the rounds" in the neighboured, they alternate between 4 groups of men to ensure the police don't go through.

I think they'll be fine-just keep an eye on the situation and the home office website!

Well, WhatdoIknowAnyway, there's one good reason not to go to Sharm. I am of a mind with GloriaSmut.

7D, I assume your parents are adults, and are able to think things through for themselves. How did your parents ever cope before you came along to look after them? Being concerned is one thing, but being overly concerned is a bad thing. As LOTM says above, in 5 weeks, it should be mostly over.

no harm in expresing your concern. What is the foreign office stance on this atm ? You could check and print that out for them. I wouldn't go because I would find it a bit bizarre to be having a hotel resort holiday where people are being shot in the streets of the capital. In terms of how safe Sharm is, I don't really know. Hotels have high security IME and if they pretty much stay in their resort, can't see that they would come to harm.

ZZZenAgain, VeggieReggie, whatdoiknowanyway, I tend to agree. I have started a thread in Ethical Living about Responsible Travel, your views are welcome if you feel you like to discuss more.

Thanks jaques, really helpful.

Speaking to someone only this morning who has just come back from there and he said there was no sign of any trouble and they had a perfectly normal holiday. Plenty of other tourists arriving as they were leaving.

Sharm el Sheike is fine and will be continue to be fine. Its not a proper town, there aren't any Egyptian residents save for those who own their own businesses. All other Egyptian workers there are workers from Cario etc who work 40 days on, 10 days off. So if they protest they'll do it when they go back to Cario. Sharm is only a tourist resort and noone there wants to jepodise their jobs by putting off the tourists.